An American Nightmare

Buried in the detail of Donald Trump’s cynically named ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is the framework for a $170 billion 17,000-agent nationwide police force empowered to disappear immigrants and critics.

It’s the largest domestic enforcement apparatus in American peacetime history. The $170 billion appropriation funded immediate expansion of detention capacity from 41,000 to 100,000 beds, hiring 10,000 additional ICE employees with $858 million in signing bonuses, and created an enforcement network spanning 7,550 federal agents plus deputized personnel in 777 sheriff departments across 40 states

The scale emerges from aggregated components: 3,000 ICE agents, 1,800 Homeland Security investigators, 2,000 Justice Department employees, 500 CBP officers, and 250 IRS agents now conduct immigration operations. Add 700 Marines deployed to Los Angeles, 4,000 National Guard in California, and 105 Stryker armored vehicles at the border. By 2029, total federal immigration enforcement personnel will exceed 17,000, supported by local law enforcement in 40 states operating under federal authority.

Construction Targets and Timeline

Eighteen new detention facilities with combined capacity of 54,000 beds entered construction, including conversions of military bases and facilities in remote locations like the Florida Everglades ‘Alligator Alcatraz’. The $45 billion infrastructure investment will provide 100,000 total beds by 2027, enabling the White House's stated goal of "detaining and deporting at least one million illegal aliens every year."

Stephen Miller threatened to fire senior ICE officials who fail to detain 3,000 migrants daily. Current operations already exceed previous capacity—one-third of detainees have never been charged with any crime, and the number with no criminal convictions doubled since May. More than a dozen people died in ICE facilities since October, including 10 during 2025, with 95% of deaths between 2017-2021 classified as preventable.

Paid subscribers can access a deep dive into the US police state that includes: How the Proud Boys are involved; and how the US justice system is bending to Trump’s policy needs.