Schmitt-Authored Fund to Arrest, Deport Criminal Illegal Aliens Passes U.S. Senate

$350 Million Fund Provides ICE the Resources Needed to Arrest Illegal Aliens Released from Local Custody in Sanctuary Cities

U.S. SENATE - Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) released the following statement after the Senate passed his provision to give U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) an additional $350 million for dedicated resources to arrest criminal illegal aliens who are released from local custody after sanctuary cities refuse to honor ICE detainers, provide release notice, or coordinate safe jail-to-ICE transfers. Schmitt's provision passed as part of the Senate reconciliation bill to fund ICE and Customs Border Patrol (CBP).

"Sanctuary cities created one of the most indefensible public-safety failures in America. These are criminal illegal aliens already sitting in jail. ICE has already identified them. Federal officers are ready to take custody. And sanctuary politicians let them walk out the door and back into American neighborhoods. That madness ends now. Senate Republicans just passed my provision to give ICE the resources to meet these criminals at the jailhouse door and take them into federal custody the moment sanctuary jurisdictions release them. In 2025 alone, sanctuary cities and states released nearly 18,000 aliens from custody instead of transferring them to ICE. That is a betrayal of every American family forced to live with the consequences. This is about commonsense immigration enforcement in our country. It targets illegal aliens, already in custody, identified by ICE, released because the Left would rather protect sanctuary politics than American citizens. If sanctuary cities will not protect their people, ICE will have the resources to do the job. This is a major victory for public safety, border security, and the rule of law," said Senator Schmitt.

The Schmitt-authored Fundprovides dedicated ICE resources for detainer management, release monitoring, custodial transfer, transportation, arrests, and detention connected to criminal aliens released from local custody.

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