Ilhan Omar’s bill would redirect ICE and Border Patrol funds, drawing backlash

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar proposes the “Make ICE Pay Act,” which would redirect nearly $140 billion from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol funding to communities affected by immigration enforcement, according to the outlets.

Both reports describe the plan as a shift from enforcement spending toward “local recovery” or community support initiatives. The proposal draws public criticism online and from commentators who frame it as weakening immigration enforcement. One outlet characterizes the backlash as calling the legislation “un-American,” highlighting claims that the bill targets federal immigration operations.

While the coverage agrees on the bill’s central mechanism—moving large-scale ICE and Border Patrol funding to local efforts—the tone differs: one emphasizes the widespread online outrage and the language used to condemn it, while the other focuses more directly on the bill’s funding figures and the allegation that Omar’s approach would “make ICE pay.”