ICE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
07/01/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/01/2026 08:29
ICE leadership, Sen. Eric Schmitt partner together to increase public safety
WASHINGTON - President Donald J. Trump signed the Secure America Act into law on June 10, providing necessary funding to ICE to enhance the agency's ability to protect the American people and uphold the nation's immigration system. A key component of the Act includes $350 million in additional funding, championed by Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt, specifically to help ICE arrest more criminal illegal aliens in jurisdictions that do not cooperate with ICE, commonly referred to as sanctuary jurisdictions.
Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella released the following statement on the initiative and Sen. Schmitt's bold leadership:
"The Secure America Act provides ICE with critical resources to strengthen immigration enforcement, enhance public safety and support our officers as they carry out the agency's mission. We appreciate Senator Schmitt's leadership in securing $350 million to help ICE address one of the most persistent challenges facing immigration enforcement and thank him for his commitment to ensuring our officers have the resources they need to protect American communities.
"Sanctuary jurisdictions refuse to honor ICE detainers or coordinate safe transfers from local custody to federal custody. As a result, criminal illegal aliens who could have been transferred directly to ICE are instead released into our communities, forcing our officers to locate and arrest them in neighborhoods, businesses and other public locations. Taking custody of criminal illegal aliens in secure correctional environments is safer for everyone involved. It reduces the risk of flight, minimizes the potential for violence, and allows law enforcement to operate in a controlled setting rather than in an unpredictable public space. When jurisdictions refuse to cooperate, they force ICE to devote significant resources to tracking and locating criminal illegal aliens who were already in custody and could have been transferred safely and efficiently.
"The funding from this legislation will help ICE increase its capacity to monitor releases and arrest removable criminal aliens when sanctuary jurisdictions refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. We look forward to using these resources to strengthen public safety, support our workforce, and advance the Secure America Act's broader goals."
Senator Schmitt released the following statement on the importance of securing this funding to combat sanctuary jurisdictions:
"Sanctuary politicians have released tens of thousands of criminal illegal aliens from jail and let them back onto our streets to continue victimizing American citizens. They created the greatest public-safety failure in our nation's history, but that betrayal ends now. I secured $350 million in the Secure America Act to give ICE the resources they need to meet these criminals outside the jailhouse door and take them into federal custody, just as the law intends. Our ICE agents are on the front lines enforcing our immigration laws, and if leaders in sanctuary cities are going to refuse to protect their own neighbors, we will ensure ICE has the tools they need to go after known criminals and protect Americans. I'm thankful for ICE and DHS' work and look forward to continuing to support their efforts to secure our country and arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens."
While additional known criminal history is not a prerequisite for immigration enforcement, nearly 70% of ICE arrests under President Donald J. Trump's leadership have been illegal aliens charged with, or convicted of, a crime in the United States.
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