Trump intends to intensify fight against immigration in 2026, despite criticism - Reuters
Kyiv • UNN
US President Donald Trump is preparing to tighten immigration policies in 2026, anticipating billions of dollars in new funding. This comes amid growing public opposition and declining approval ratings for his policies.
US President Donald Trump is preparing for a tougher crackdown on immigration policy in 2026, anticipating billions of dollars in new funding, including for more workplace raids — despite growing public resistance ahead of next year's midterm congressional elections. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
As the publication notes, Trump has already sent additional immigration forces to large US cities, where agents conducted large-scale checks in migrant residential areas and clashed with local residents. Although federal agents conducted several high-profile raids on businesses this year, they mostly avoided checking farms, factories, and other economically important facilities known to employ undocumented migrants.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol will receive an additional $170 billion in funding by September 2029 — a sharp increase compared to their current annual budgets of about $19 billion. This decision was made by the Republican-controlled US Congress as part of a massive spending package passed in July.
Administration officials say they plan to hire thousands of new agents, open new detention centers, more actively detain migrants in local jails, and work with private companies to find people without legal status.
The expansion of deportation plans comes amid growing political discontent ahead of the midterm elections. Miami — one of the cities most affected by Trump's harsh policies due to its large immigrant population — last week elected a Democratic mayor for the first time in almost 30 years. The mayor-elect said that this was, among other things, a reaction to the president's actions. Other local elections and polls also show growing concern among voters about aggressive immigration methods.
People are starting to see this not as an immigration issue, but as a violation of rights, a violation of due process, and an unconstitutional militarization of neighborhoods. This poses a serious problem for the president and the Republican Party.
Approval of Trump's immigration policy has fallen from 50% in March — before the start of large-scale raids in several major cities — to 41% in mid-December, although this issue was previously considered his strongest position.
Public concern has been heightened by the actions of masked federal agents who used harsh methods, including tear gas in residential areas, and also detained US citizens.
Recall
The US Department of Homeland Security launched large-scale raids against illegal immigration in Charlotte, North Carolina, with plans to expand operations to the south of the country. This caused fear and uncertainty, as similar operations in other cities led to the detention of people without criminal records.
The US government is introducing a program that allows minor migrants to receive $2,500 for voluntarily returning to their country after approval by an immigration judge. Human rights activists warn of possible pressure on minors to waive legal guarantees.