PUBLIC SAFETY Act

S. 3631, the PUBLIC SAFETY Act, would reallocate approximately $75 billion in federal funding from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to local law enforcement programs. Specifically, the bill would redirect $29.85 billion designated for ICE enforcement and operations to the COPS Hiring Program to support hiring over 200,000 local police officers nationwide, and would waive matching contribution requirements for small jurisdictions. Additionally, it would redirect $45 billion designated for ICE detention capacity expansion to the Byrne JAG program, which funds law enforcement training, crime victim assistance, and crime prevention initiatives.

The bill would not eliminate ICE's regular appropriations, leaving the agency with historically normal funding levels to conduct traditional immigration enforcement. Supporters argue that investing in trained local police officers who have community ties would improve public safety more effectively than expanding ICE operations, particularly given concerns about rapid ICE hiring with minimal training and reports of enforcement actions affecting crime reporting rates in some communities.