Washington: The Trump administration diverted more than $2 billion from US military funds in 2025 to support immigration enforcement operations, weakening military readiness and straining servicemembers, according to a report released by Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
The report, “Draining Defense: Trump’s Immigration Stunts Cost Billions at the Expense of Military Readiness, Morale, and National Security,” says the Department of Defense (DoD) has obligated billions of dollars for immigration-related missions — spending that lawmakers say falls outside the military’s core national security role.
“The Department of Defense (DoD) has dedicated at least $2 billion to supporting immigration enforcement — money that should have gone toward supporting its core national security mission,” the report states, adding that the Pentagon plans to spend “billions more” in the next fiscal year.
According to the lawmakers, most of the money has not been reimbursed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), forcing the Pentagon to divert funds from military priorities such as training, housing repairs, and infrastructure upgrades. The report says the diversions have affected everything from barracks maintenance to “repairs for elementary schools attended by the children of our servicemembers.”
The report documents extensive use of active-duty troops and National Guard units for immigration enforcement. These include deployments to the US-Mexico border and to American cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and Memphis. Lawmakers estimate that border deployments alone cost about $1.3 billion, while deployments inside the US added another $258 million.
In Los Angeles, a military deployment to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cost an estimated $172 million. The report breaks down those expenses to include food, shelter, payroll, logistics, travel, and demobilization costs for thousands of Marines and National Guard troops.
Detention operations on military installations accounted for hundreds of millions more. The report says DoD obligated over $420 million for detention activities, including more than $363 million spent at Fort Bliss in Texas. The Fort Bliss facility, the report notes, “has already ‘violated at least 60 federal standards for immigrant detention.’”
The Trump administration also expanded the use of Guantánamo Bay for immigration detention — a departure from past practice. According to the report, DoD spent about $40 million detaining noncitizens there in just the first month. Detention at Guantánamo costs far more than detention inside the US, the report says, citing transportation, staffing, and infrastructure expenses.
Military aircraft were also used for deportations, significantly increasing costs. The report notes that “it costs $28,500 an hour to fly a C-17, compared with $8,500 an hour for a standard US Immigration and Customs Enforcement flight.” As of September 2025, at least $33.1 million had been spent on deportation flights using military aircraft, including flights to India that cost “$3 million each.”
The report further highlights the reassignment of military lawyers. Up to 600 Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers were authorized to serve as temporary immigration judges, a move estimated to cost $55 million in pay and benefits while pulling legal officers away from military justice duties.
Beyond financial costs, the lawmakers warn of growing risks to readiness. Combat-certified units were reassigned to immigration missions, leaving them unavailable for contingency operations. National Guard deployments, the report says, also reduced states’ ability to respond to disasters such as wildfires and floods.
“The Trump administration must stop degrading the military’s fundamental mission by diverting the military’s budget and critical resources to DHS’s immigration functions,” the report says, calling for full reimbursement and an end to the diversions.
Immigration enforcement has remained a defining issue for the administration, often framed as a national security priority.
For US allies and partners, including India, the report’s authors caution that deploying military resources to domestic law enforcement risks weakening America’s ability to respond to global security challenges, particularly in strategically sensitive regions.
(IANS)
