The Lawfare Podcast Lawfare Daily: What To Expect on the Immigration Front in Year 2 of Trump's Second Term
Feb 10, 2026
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council who analyzes U.S. immigration enforcement, joins to unpack funding surges for ICE and DHS. He breaks down staffing shifts, risks of rapid mass hiring, and how new personnel could reshape arrests and worksite raids. He also outlines detention expansion plans and looming high court battles.
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Massive ICE Funding Will Change Enforcement
- The One Big Beautiful Bill provided roughly $75 billion to ICE, massively expanding enforcement resources and detention funding.
- Aaron Reichlin-Melnick warns this creates capacity for unprecedented interior immigration operations nationwide.
CBP Gets Big Buildout, Especially Wall Funding
- CBP also received roughly $75 billion with a large portion for the border wall and hiring increases.
- Reichlin-Melnick says DHS overall saw about $155 billion toward immigration-related priorities.
Rapid Hiring Risks Lowered Standards And Culture
- Rapid hiring mirrors Bush-era Border Patrol surges but on steroids, risking lowered standards and corruption.
- Reichlin-Melnick notes training cut drastically and recruitment targets ideological networks, threatening institutional culture.