ICE Awards Over $8 Billion to 1,100 Companies for Deportation Efforts

The Trump administration has significantly ramped up funding and contracts awarded to private companies to support its deportation agenda. Since January 20, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has allocated over $8.4 billion across more than 1,100 businesses of varying sizes, according to an analysis by The Appeal based on data from the government spending website usaspending.gov.

The investigation reveals a broad network of private entities collaborating with ICE to implement its enforcement policies. This includes contracts ranging from lethal weaponry and combat training equipment to everyday operational expenses such as office furniture and parking space leases. For instance, ICE has spent approximately $154 million on weapons and related items like restraints and handcuffs. Among these expenditures, the agency contracted with ShivWorks for nearly $20,000 worth of defensive tactic knives used in law enforcement training courses.

A notable recipient of this funding is Atlantic Diving Supply, which received nearly $100 million in contracts from ICE. Other less conspicuous expenses include roughly $52 million on office furniture and over $4.3 million for roofing contractors. These expenditures underscore the extensive reach of ICE's budget allocation across various sectors.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted last year, further bolstered ICE’s financial resources by allocating an additional $75 billion to be disbursed over four years, bringing its annual funding to approximately $18.7 billion. This substantial increase has made ICE the federal law enforcement agency with the largest budget.

ICE's partnerships extend beyond private companies to include local governments as well. For example, the City of Arlington in Texas provided a venue for an ICE hiring expo aimed at recruiting law enforcement candidates for about $50,000. Similarly, the town of Lancaster, New York, leased a secure parking facility to store and deploy up to 164 government vehicles for ICE operations.

Moreover, ICE has contracted with local municipalities like Cottage Grove in Minnesota for training facilities. A firearms range rental contract was signed for around $118,000 to train law enforcement officers in the St. Paul area. This comes at a time when incidents involving ICE agents using lethal force against protesters have increased significantly. Since last year, federal immigration officers have shot at least 23 individuals nationwide, according to recent investigations.

The comprehensive database published by The Appeal allows users to explore contracts and identify companies and governments in their region that are working with ICE. This transparency aims to inform the public about the extensive network supporting the agency's enforcement activities and raise awareness regarding the broader implications of these partnerships on local communities and national policies.