Fact Check: ICE has more funding with the Big Beautiful Bill than the Russian army

Fact Check: "ICE has more funding with the Big Beautiful Bill than the Russian army"

What We Know

In the summer of 2025, a claim circulated online suggesting that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received more funding than the Russian military due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) signed by President Donald Trump. Various posts claimed that ICE's funding was approximately $170 billion to $175 billion, while estimates for Russia's military budget ranged from $126 billion to $149 billion (source-1).

However, the actual funding allocated to ICE was approximately $75 billion through September 2029, with an additional proposed base budget of $11.29 billion for fiscal year 2026 (source-1). The higher figures cited in the claims likely conflated ICE's budget with overall immigration enforcement spending under the OBBA, which could exceed $150 billion over several years but does not specifically allocate that amount to ICE alone (source-2).

In contrast, reputable estimates for Russia's military budget in 2025 are around $149 billion to $160 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (source-2). This discrepancy highlights that ICE's funding does not surpass Russia's military budget when considering direct allocations.

Analysis

The claim that ICE's funding exceeds that of the Russian military is misleading. The figures cited for ICE's budget appear to stem from a misunderstanding or misrepresentation of the funding structure under the OBBA. The total funding for ICE includes a significant portion that is not solely for the agency but is part of broader immigration enforcement initiatives (source-1).

Moreover, the estimates for Russia's military budget are derived from reputable sources that specialize in military spending analysis, such as the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which reported a planned military expenditure of approximately $160 billion for 2025 (source-2). This contrasts with the inflated figures attributed to ICE, which do not accurately reflect the agency's specific budget allocations.

Additionally, the differences in budgeting timelines between the U.S. and Russia complicate direct comparisons. The U.S. fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, while Russia's budget aligns with the calendar year, making it challenging to draw precise parallels between the two budgets (source-1).

Conclusion

The claim that ICE has more funding than the Russian army is False. The actual funding allocated to ICE is significantly lower than the estimates for Russia's military budget. The confusion arises from conflating overall immigration enforcement spending with ICE's specific budget, as well as from the use of outdated or misrepresented figures. Reliable sources indicate that ICE's funding does not surpass that of the Russian military, particularly when considering the latter's planned expenditures for 2025.

Fact Check: ICE has more funding with the Big Beautiful Bill than the Russian army