In the previous fiscal year, the administration of President Donald Trump allocated about $2 billion from the Pentagon budget to combat illegal immigration. In the current fiscal year, which began on October 1, a significant increase in these expenses is expected.
This data was presented in a joint report by a group of Democratic congressmen from both chambers of Congress, published on Thursday, TASS reports.
The authors of the report criticized the president's actions, pointing out that the emphasis on strict border control measures negatively affects the strengthening of defense capabilities and emergency preparedness. According to their information, the Pentagon's budget for 2026 includes at least $5 billion for operations related to migration control at the border with Mexico.
As reported in the document, in the past fiscal year, the US Department of Defense spent:
— $1.3 billion on troop deployment at the southern border;
— $420.9 million on housing migrants at military facilities in the country and abroad;
— $258 million on sending troops to cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago;
— $40.3 million on deportation flights conducted by the armed forces.
Congress members argue that involving the military in migration policy goes beyond reasonable limits, reducing combat readiness and leading to ineffective spending. The report emphasizes that carrying out migration tasks by the military is significantly more expensive than similar actions by civilian agencies, as it does not align with the core mission of the Department of Defense and the military lacks the necessary training.
In response to the criticism, the White House stated that using Pentagon funds to combat migration would not affect the financing of other priority tasks. At the same time, the administration placed the responsibility for the situation on the Democrats and on the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden.
Earlier, Donald Trump claimed that before he took office, about 25 million people entered the country illegally and advocated for tightening immigration policy. After his inauguration, he signed an order declaring a state of emergency at the border with Mexico, emphasizing his intention to conduct the largest deportation operation of illegal migrants in US history.
