2014 Budget Request: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

April 12, 2013 | By Zach Rausnitz

President Obama's fiscal 2014 budget request for Immigration and Customs Enforcement would cut the agency's funding by about 11 percent, accounting for inflation.

ICE's detention and removal budget (part of salaries and expenses), which comprises nearly half of its overall budget, would decline 8.36 percent. Within it, custody operations would fall 12.44 percent to $1.845 billion, and fugitive operations would fall 20.93 percent to $126 million.


A significant boost would come to the criminal alien program, the budget of which would increase from an estimated $198 million in fiscal 2013 to $292 million in fiscal 2014. The program supports efforts throughout ICE to find and remove immigrants who are criminals.

Funding for the Alternatives to Detention program, where ICE releases detainees to community supervision, would decline, but by less then 3 percent. The proposed budget would also reduce the number of immigration detention beds, from 34,000 to 31,800.

In February, ICE released more than 2,000 detainees so that it would remain within budget. The move drew criticism from Republicans in Congress, who said ICE should have at least asked for more funding first.

ICE's automation modernization funding request is almost triple the estimated amount from fiscal 2013. Those funds go toward four programs, including Law Enforcement Systems Modernization and the Alien Criminal Response Information Management System.

The $5 million request for construction would fund repairs and maintenance, such as roof replacement, and create separate spaces for ICE employees and detainees in detention facilities.

For more:
- go to the DHS budget request webpage

http://www.fiercehomelandsecurity.com/story/2014-budget-request-immigration-and-customs-enforcement/2013-04-12