Andy Biggs pushes for $72B budget reconciliation package to fund ICE through 2029

Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs is hoping a $72 billion budget reconciliation package aimed at funding ICE and Border Patrol through 2029 without needing Democratic support will succeed.

“You really need to fund CBP and ICE fully because you have segments and components that are not being funded even now,” Biggs told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Thursday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Homeland Security Committee released the budget reconciliation package Monday.

“But the Senate majority leader, yesterday, John Thune, came out and said we’re not going to do a third reconciliation, which is not good because everybody based their vote on the last spending bill on the fact that you were going to fund CBP and ICE fully,” Biggs said.

Biggs is hoping to leave Washington and return to Arizona as governor. With President Donald Trump’s endorsement, he’ll first need to beat fellow U.S. Rep. David Schweikert in the Republican primary before facing Gov. Katie Hobbs in the general election.

Why is Andy Biggs concerned about ICE funding?

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025, delivered one of the largest immigration enforcement funding increases in U.S. history.

The law authorized $170 billion in new Department of Homeland Security spending through September 2029, including a major share for ICE, according to the American Immigration Council.

But despite that authorization, DHS monies became wrapped up in a broader federal funding fight. Congressional Democrats pushed back against the administration’s immigration enforcement policies during negotiations over DHS funding, leading to a prolonged standoff.

Although the partial DHS shutdown eventually ended, the final agreement did not include the disputed immigration provisions — and Democrats still want ICE reforms.

That’s an issue for Biggs, who says federal immigration authorities could use more cash.

“So you have line agents that are all getting paid, but you have special investigations. You have special backroom folks that are administrators that actually process and facilitate the front line guys — men and women — and they’re not getting paid right now,” Biggs said. “So, we’ve got a bit of a problem going on there and that has to be resolved.”

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