Ilhan Omar wants ICE to ‘pay the price’ for its raids, introducing a bill that would block $140 billion in agency funding

Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota introduced the Make ICE Pay Act on Thursday, legislation that would block approximately $139.6 billion in funding previously allocated to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the Guardian.

The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota, would redirect that funding to states, local governments, nonprofits and small businesses affected by federal immigration enforcement operations. The measure would be administered through the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s inspector general’s office over three years.

Grants could fund economic relief, reimbursement of operational costs, support for affected schools, mental health services, official investigations and record-keeping projects. Eligible states named in the bill include Minnesota, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina and Oregon.

What prompted the bill

Omar’s district covers Minneapolis, where federal agents conducted Operation Metro Surge beginning in December, an operation that resulted in nearly 4,000 arrests and involved shootings in which two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed. Omar cited a city of Minneapolis estimate that the operation cost the community nearly $700 million.

“For over a year, ICE has been tearing through our nation, leading racist terror campaigns that have caused devastating damage to our cities, to our businesses and to the lives of our constituents,” Omar said. “We have a moral responsibility to end this abuse of power.”

Separately, an ICE agent identified in other reporting as Christian Castro was arrested in Minneapolis this week on charges including assault and false reporting of a crime, after allegedly shooting a Venezuelan man through an apartment door while children were reportedly present.

ICE arrests reached 49,571 in July, the highest monthly total of the current administration, up 15% from June and 70% from February’s total of 29,241, according to Associated Press reporting on federal data. That increase came despite testimony from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during his confirmation hearing that the department would pursue a more measured enforcement approach.

A Harvard CAPS/Harris survey of 2,100 registered voters conducted last month found 47% of respondents viewed ICE unfavorably, compared with 39% who viewed the agency favorably. Omar, born in Somalia, arrived in the United States as a refugee at age 12 and became a citizen at 17. Trump’s rhetoric toward her, according to the outlet, has helped spur death threats against her, including comments he made at a rally in December.

The bill’s prospects in the Republican-controlled House remain uncertain. Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security has issued a public statement on the Make ICE Pay Act specifically as of publication.