By Ted Hesson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The major tax-cut and spending bill that Republicans hope to bring to final passage in the U.S. House of Representatives this week would devote an unprecedented $170 billion to immigration enforcement, according to an analysis by the pro-immigration American Immigration Council and a Reuters review of the bill text.
DETENTION
The bill, which passed in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, would provide $45 billion for immigration detention to increase from the currently funded level of a daily average of 41,500 people to at least 100,000, by far the most on record.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which administers the immigration detention system, was over its funded capacity as of June 15, with 56,000 in custody.
President Donald Trump, a Republican, visited a temporary detention facility on Tuesday dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” because of its location in the Florida Everglades, a subtropical wetland. Trump said other states could follow the same model as Florida, which quickly constructed large tents and expects reimbursement via federal emergency management funds.
BORDER WALL
The bill devotes $46.6 billion toward construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. During Trump’s 2017-2021 presidency, his administration built about 450 miles (724 km) of border barriers although much of that replaced existing structures. The entire border spans 1,954 miles (3,145 km).
Another $5 billion would go toward upgrading U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities and checkpoints.
The number of migrants caught crossing illegally has dropped to record lows since Trump took office in January.
HIRING MORE OFFICERS
The legislation provides $30 billion for ICE’s arrest and deportation operations – more than double the $10 billion appropriated for the agency this year. The funds would pay for the hiring and training of new ICE officers. The money could also be used to ramp up arrests across the country through partnerships with state and local law enforcement.
While the Senate bill does not specify how many officers, the House version of the legislation had set a level of 10,000 ICE officers over five years.
ICE has about 21,000 full-time employees, according to a budget document published in June.
The measure gives $4.1 billion to hire more CBP personnel, including Border Patrol agents.
REIMBURSEMENTS TO STATES
The bill creates a $10 billion fund to provide reimbursements for spending use to support the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to secure the border.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, sent a letter in January to U.S. lawmakers requesting reimbursement for more than $11 billion the state spent on border security efforts.
FEE INCREASES
The legislation will raise fees for various immigration applications, potentially deterring or delaying some migrants from seeking legal status.
The bill for the first time will create a $100 fee for an asylum application. Asylum seekers would also face a new $550 work permit fee.
The American Immigration Council estimates asylum seekers would pay at least $1,150 over a five-year process to obtain asylum.
Fees would also rise for programs that offer temporary legal immigration status and protection from deportation, which Trump generally opposes.
People applying for Temporary Protected Status would see registration fees rise from $50 to $500. Those seeking humanitarian “parole” would have fees increase from $630 to $1,000.
(Reporting by Ted Hesson; Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Mary Milliken and Chizu Nomiyama )
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