Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has proposed redirecting nearly $75 billion in ICE funding from the GOP’s 2025 megabill to local law enforcement grants and hiring programs instead of pursuing a defunding fight ahead of the Jan. 30 deadline. Her plan would allocate about $45 billion to Justice Assistance Grant programs and nearly $30 billion to the COPS hiring program, phased over four years. Backed by four other Democratic senators, the measure aims to hold ICE accountable without triggering a shutdown, though Republicans are unlikely to support immediate reprogramming.
Sen. Cortez Masto Proposes Redirecting Nearly $75B in ICE Funding to Local Law Enforcement Grants
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D‑Nev.) has unveiled a proposal to redirect nearly $75 billion in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding from the GOP’s 2025 megabill, seeking to reallocate the money to local law‑enforcement grant programs rather than pursue an agency defunding battle ahead of the Jan. 30 funding deadline, according to a proposal first shared with Semafor.
What the Plan Would Do
Under Cortez Masto’s proposal, roughly $45 billion currently designated for ICE detention centers would be shifted into Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) programs, while nearly $30 billion earmarked for enforcement would be reprogrammed to the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) hiring program. The reallocation would be phased in over four years.
Why She’s Pushing It
“I support strong border security. We need it,” Cortez Masto told Semafor. “But this administration is not going after hardened criminals with this money. So why don’t we redirect it to those local law enforcement agencies that are really focused on keeping our community safe?”
The senator argues the extra ICE funding is being used to hire officers with less training and that some ICE enforcement actions—particularly operations in Minnesota—amount to “racial profiling” and “setting quotas.” At the same time, Cortez Masto has signaled she wants to avoid a government shutdown or a prolonged standoff over funding.
Political Outlook
The proposal is designed to impose accountability on ICE without forcing a shutdown at the Jan. 30 deadline. It is backed by Democratic Sens. Chris Coons (D‑Del.), Jacky Rosen (D‑Nev.), John Hickenlooper (D‑Colo.) and Martin Heinrich (D‑N.M.).
Cortez Masto acknowledged that Republicans who approved the allocations are unlikely to support immediate reprogramming, but she said Democrats could press the effort if they gain more leverage in Congress next year: “I doubt that they would support redirecting that $75 billion. But it doesn’t mean that we don’t fight for it, and it doesn’t mean when we take control as Democrats, we don’t look to do the same thing.”
Implications
If enacted, the move would shift federal resources from immigration enforcement toward local policing and grants aimed at community safety and officer hiring/training—while leaving ICE’s base appropriations intact. Whether the plan can advance depends on legislative dynamics and partisan priorities in the coming months.
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