Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York warned of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “explosion” and ensuing “barbarism” at the hands of the “big, beautiful bill” passing the House Thursday.

Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via email for comment.

Why It Matters

This legislative victory for the Trump administration comes after record-breaking debates over the legislation and subsequent House vote, with lawmakers and advocates now concerned about its possible impact nationwide.

The president campaigned on mass deportations and has made immigration a key pillar in his second term. Trump appointed Tom Homan as his border czar to help carry out these initiatives.

The passage of the “big, beautiful bill” marks a significant milestone for Trump’s administration and sets the stage for a contentious new chapter in immigration policy.

What To Know

Taking to social media after the bill passed, Ocasio-Cortez expressed concerns with what the bill now means in terms of funding for ICE.

“I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ICE,” the New York lawmaker posted on Bluesky. “This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion – making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA, & others combined.”

Cortez concluded, “It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.”

In a follow-up post, she said she is “grieving the barbarism that is going to unfurl from all this.”

“People are going to die. Livelihoods gone. All to feed a corrupt kleptocracy. I see every day up close how different it is from the first time around. There are no guardrails. A disaster. I’m sorry we have to live through this,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

In the bill, $45 billion will be given to ICE for detention capacity while allocating $29.9 billion in additional funding to the agency through September 30, 2029.

The funding for ICE now exceeds that of many of the world’s militaries.

Immigration raids in Los Angeles last month sparked unrest in the City of Angels and grabbed the attention of those in Washington and throughout the nation as other protests sprouted.

Riots occurred in a portion of downtown Los Angeles in reaction to the ICE raids, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to initiate a curfew.

In recent weeks, the bill also sparked widespread concerns over health care coverage, specifically Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The bill will now mandate that recipients of Medicaid work for at least 80 hours a month, among other provisions.

What People Are Saying

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday: “I speak on behalf of the entire agency when I say that ICE is grateful to President Trump for putting in the hard work necessary to get the Big Beautiful Bill across the finish line – but the real win is for the American people.”

Lyons continued, “The unprecedented funding for ICE will enable my hard-working officers and agents to continue making America safe again by identifying, arresting and removing criminal aliens from our communities. I’m thrilled to work with Secretary Noem, Congress and the president to protect our families, friends and neighbors.”

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem also posted to X on Thursday: “Today’s passage of the Big Beautiful Bill is a win for law and order and the safety and security of the American people. This $165 billion in funding will help @DHSGov and our brave law enforcement further deliver on President Trump’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Thank you @POTUS Trump! 🇺🇸”

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, on X Thursday: “With this vote, Congress makes ICE the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency in history, with more money per year at its disposal over the next four years than the budgets of the FBI, DEA, ATF, US Marshals, and Bureau of Prisons combined.”

What Happens Next

As partisan debate continues to escalate, the legislation’s real-world impacts on immigration policy and federal law enforcement are set to become focal points of the midterm and 2028 election cycles.