Fact Check: "ICE has more funding than the Russian army"
What We Know
In the summer of 2025, a claim circulated online asserting that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received more funding than the Russian military. Most claims cited figures ranging from $170 billion to $175 billion for ICE, while estimates for Russia's military budget were reported to be between $126 billion and $149 billion. However, the actual funding allocated to ICE was approximately $75 billion through September 2029, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA), along with a proposed base budget of $11.29 billion for fiscal year 2026 (see Snopes, Yahoo).
The discrepancy in the figures arises from conflating ICE's budget with overall immigration enforcement spending estimates under the OBBA. Notably, reputable think tanks estimated Russia's military budget at about $149 billion for 2024, with projections of $160 billion for 2025 (see Newsweek). Therefore, the claim that ICE's funding exceeds that of the Russian military is misleading.
Analysis
The claim that ICE has more funding than the Russian army is based on inflated figures and a misunderstanding of budget allocations. The $170 billion and $175 billion figures cited in various posts likely stem from estimates of total immigration enforcement spending under the OBBA, rather than ICE's specific budget (see Hindustan Times).
The actual funding for ICE, as outlined in the OBBA, consists of a base budget of $11.29 billion for fiscal year 2026 and an additional $75 billion available until September 2029, totaling approximately $86.14 billion when combined (see New Republic). This amount is significantly less than the estimated $160 billion for Russia's military budget in 2025 (see Stockholm International Peace Research Institute).
Moreover, the comparison is complicated by differences in budgeting timelines between the U.S. and Russia. The U.S. fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, while Russia's budget aligns with the calendar year, making direct comparisons challenging (see Snopes).
Additionally, the sources that support the claim often lack rigorous verification or rely on outdated data, which diminishes their reliability. For instance, while some advocacy groups and media outlets have reported inflated figures, they do not provide a clear breakdown of how these numbers were calculated or the context behind them (see Salon, Substack).
Conclusion
The claim that ICE has more funding than the Russian army is False. The actual funding allocated to ICE is approximately $86.14 billion, which does not surpass the estimated $149 billion to $160 billion allocated for Russia's military budget in 2025. The confusion arises from conflating ICE's budget with broader immigration enforcement spending and using inflated figures without proper context.
Sources
- Investigating claims Trump admin's ICE funding surpasses ... Snopes
- Investigating claims Trump admin's ICE funding surpasses ... Yahoo
- ICE Funding Set to be Bigger Than Most Countries' Entire ... Infogram
- ICE budget now bigger than most of the world's militaries Newsweek
- Big Beautiful Bill: ICE, FBI budget more than Russia's ... Hindustan Times
- Congress Gives ICE More Money Than It Could Have Ever ... New Republic
- ICE's $175 billion windfall: Trump's mass deportation force ... Salon
- ICE's $75 Billion Budget Now Rivals World Top 15 Militaries ... Substack
