Sweeping Immigration Enforcement Bill Sparks Debate

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on a major tax-cut and spending bill that includes a sweeping $170 billion allocation for immigration enforcement, according to the American Immigration Council and a Reuters review of the text.

The controversial legislation, which has passed the Senate, proposes $45 billion to vastly increase immigration detention capacity and $46.6 billion towards further construction on the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Detention centers currently house an average of 41,500 detainees daily, but the new bill seeks to raise this to at least 100,000.

The bill also addresses fees, proposing significant increases for various immigration applications, which could deter or delay migrants seeking legal status. Critics argue these measures may disproportionately impact asylum seekers and temporary immigration programs that face stark fee hikes.

(With inputs from agencies.)