Current Events, Immigration, Crime Humble Dobber Current Events, Immigration, Crime Humble Dobber

The Price of Real Justice vs. the Cost of a Show

Many Americans still want answers about Jeffrey Epstein. Who was involved? Why haven’t more people been held accountable? Why does it feel like justice only applies to the rest of us—and never to the rich and powerful?

It’s a good question. Because if this administration really cared about crime, justice, and protecting children, the Epstein investigation would be a top priority. Instead, the government has chosen to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into a prison complex in the Florida Everglades that looks more like a political stunt than a serious solution to anything.

Let’s talk about cost. Let’s talk about results. And let’s talk about what that tells us about who this government really works for.

Many Americans still want answers about Jeffrey Epstein. Who was involved? Why haven’t more people been held accountable? Why does it feel like justice only applies to the rest of us—and never to the rich and powerful?

It’s a good question. Because if this administration really cared about crime, justice, and protecting children, the Epstein investigation would be a top priority. Instead, the government has chosen to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into a prison complex in the Florida Everglades that looks more like a political stunt than a serious solution to anything.

Let’s talk about cost. Let’s talk about results. And let’s talk about what that tells us about who this government really works for.

What It Would Take to Prosecute the Epstein Network

Jeffrey Epstein didn’t act alone. He had connections—some still in positions of influence today. Survivors have named names. Flight logs, visitor lists, and financial records exist. Some of these files have been sealed. Some have been quietly ignored.

But none of this is impossible to investigate. In fact, experts estimate that it would cost somewhere between $20 and $200 million to do a full, credible investigation and prosecution of Epstein’s trafficking network. That includes:

  • Releasing court documents and sealed records

  • Interviewing survivors and witnesses

  • Investigating financial and travel records

  • Prosecuting 10 to 20 high-profile individuals

That’s a lot of money—but in government terms, it’s a drop in the bucket. We’ve spent more on minor construction projects or military equipment no one uses. And unlike those, this would deliver something Americans want: real accountability.

So why hasn’t it happened?

What We Got Instead: Alligator Alcatraz

While the Epstein files sit in legal limbo, the government is spending over $450 million a year to run a brand-new ICE detention center in the Florida Everglades. Nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” it’s being held up as a symbol of tough-on-crime immigration policy.

But what is it really?

  • A massive detention facility hidden deep in Big Cypress Preserve

  • Operated by ICE, mostly holding people in civil—not criminal—proceedings

  • Packed with people who have not been charged with violent crimes

  • Staffed under questionable conditions, with reports of overcrowding and neglect

  • Promoted through VIP tours and social media photo ops

The facility looks dramatic. Rows of detainees, guards in black gear, flooded swampland. But does it make anyone safer? There’s no evidence it reduces crime. What it does do is give politicians a talking point—something to post on Truth Social while real issues go ignored.

Comparing the Two

Investigating and prosecuting Jeffrey Epstein’s network would cost somewhere between $20 million and $200 million in total. That would cover releasing sealed court documents, interviewing survivors, tracking financial records, and holding powerful people accountable in court. It’s a one-time cost with lasting benefits: real justice, a public reckoning, and a clear signal that no one is above the law.

Now compare that to Alligator Alcatraz, the new ICE detention center in the Florida Everglades. It’s costing over $450 million every single year just to operate. That money goes toward detaining mostly nonviolent migrants—people in civil proceedings, not criminals. There’s no evidence this facility reduces crime or makes Americans safer. But it looks good in staged photos and gives politicians something to brag about online.

One approach is focused, targeted, and fair. The other is bloated, theatrical, and cruel. One delivers justice. The other delivers headlines.

And somehow, the one that actually goes after real criminals—the one that might finally hold Epstein’s accomplices accountable—is the one they won’t fund.

What This Tells Us

This isn’t about resources. We have the money. It’s about priorities.

This administration promised to “drain the swamp,” “go after the deep state,” and protect children from predators. But instead of following through, they’ve given us a prison in a swamp while the Epstein network gets swept under the rug.

That’s not justice. That’s a distraction.

And it’s a pretty expensive one.

The Bottom Line

If you’re angry that Epstein got away with it—and that the people around him still haven’t been held accountable—you’re not alone. But don’t let this administration point you at immigrants or migrants as the problem. They’re not the ones who flew on Epstein’s plane. They’re not the ones with sealed court records and high-powered lawyers.

Real justice would mean shining a light on what really happened. Real justice would mean facing uncomfortable truths—even if they lead to the rich and connected.

Instead, we got Alligator Alcatraz.

Not because it works.

But because it distracts.

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Immigration, Taxes Humble Dobber Immigration, Taxes Humble Dobber

The Price of Cruelty: How the 2025 Immigration Crackdown Wastes Billions and Harms Communities

In the summer of 2025, Congress passed what supporters proudly called the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” pouring an unprecedented $170 billion into immigration enforcement over the next four years. The bill promises to build more walls, expand detention centers, and supercharge deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Supporters claim it will restore order. But at what cost?

In our previous post, Do Undocumented Immigrants Really Drain Our Economy? we showed that undocumented workers contribute billions to our tax base and strengthen entire industries. Now, with a fresh $170 billion on the table, the federal government is poised to spend record amounts tearing those same workers away from their communities.

Behind the slogans and big numbers is a simple truth: these policies target largely nonviolent, tax-paying workers — people who help build our communities. Spending tens of billions to arrest, detain, and deport them isn’t just inhumane — it’s staggeringly wasteful.

This post will break down the real dollars behind the new budget, the massive tax revenue we stand to lose, and the painful consequences for families and communities. In the end, it’s clear: this cruel spending spree will cost us far more than money.

In the summer of 2025, Congress passed what supporters proudly called the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” pouring an unprecedented $170 billion into immigration enforcement over the next four years. The bill promises to build more walls, expand detention centers, and supercharge deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Supporters claim it will restore order. But at what cost?

In our previous post, Do Undocumented Immigrants Really Drain Our Economy? we showed that undocumented workers contribute billions to our tax base and strengthen entire industries. Now, with a fresh $170 billion on the table, the federal government is poised to spend record amounts tearing those same workers away from their communities.

Behind the slogans and big numbers is a simple truth: these policies target largely nonviolent, tax-paying workers — people who help build our communities. Spending tens of billions to arrest, detain, and deport them isn’t just inhumane — it’s staggeringly wasteful.

This post will break down the real dollars behind the new budget, the massive tax revenue we stand to lose, and the painful consequences for families and communities. In the end, it’s clear: this cruel spending spree will cost us far more than money.

The True Costs of Immigration Enforcement

The 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill” represents one of the largest immigration enforcement spending sprees in U.S. history. Over the next four years, the bill commits more than $170 billion to expand and intensify immigration controls. Here’s how those billions break down:

  • $45 billion for new or expanded detention centers, allowing federal authorities to detain more than 100,000 individuals at any one time — nearly double today’s already crowded system.

  • $30–44 billion dedicated to deportation operations, covering transportation, legal proceedings, and contracts with local law enforcement to funnel more people into removal pipelines.

  • $46 billion to expand and fortify border walls and barriers, despite evidence that walls alone do not meaningfully deter visa overstays, which make up nearly half of undocumented migration.

  • The remaining billions will fund advanced surveillance technology, cooperation with state and local police, and an enlarged immigration court system designed to process far more deportations, far faster.

All told, this staggering investment is meant to supercharge deportations to a goal of 1 million people per year — about 3,000 removals per day. But these numbers ignore the human reality: many of those targeted are long-settled, nonviolent workers with U.S. citizen children, homes, and steady taxpaying jobs.

Instead of strengthening our economy and communities, this massive budget expansion is a commitment to mass detention and forced separation — at an extraordinary cost to taxpayers.

Unrealistic Goals, Inflated Spending

Behind the headline promises of 1 million deportations per year lies a logistical and moral nightmare. The current immigration system is already struggling under a historic case backlog, with deportations this year reaching about 239,000 as of July — far below the new target. To scale up to 3,000 removals per day, as the bill envisions, would require more than doubling the pace of arrests, transportation, detention, and legal proceedings.

Beyond legal barriers, there are massive operational constraints. Immigration courts are severely understaffed. Flights to repatriate deportees are limited by international agreements. Many people targeted for removal have deep roots in U.S. communities, meaning their cases are far more complicated than a simple “in and out” deportation.

Yet the federal government plans to funnel billions of dollars toward these unrealistic targets anyway. Detention facilities will expand, but the human and financial costs of holding tens of thousands of nonviolent individuals indefinitely will only mount. The promised “efficiency” of this operation is a political talking point — not a realistic blueprint.

In the end, these inflated deportation goals will not just waste money; they will push an already-overwhelmed system closer to collapse, all while tearing apart families and communities in the name of an impossible enforcement agenda.

The Economic Fallout: Lost Tax Revenue

Beyond the staggering spending, there is another price Americans will pay: the loss of billions in tax revenue from deported workers. Undocumented immigrants contribute significantly to the public purse. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, undocumented workers pay roughly $8,889 per person in combined federal, state, and local taxes each year.

If the administration achieves its goal of deporting 1 million people annually, the nation would lose nearly $9 billion in annual tax revenue — money that helps pay for schools, roads, and essential services in every state. Over four years, that loss would total around $35 billion, nearly enough to fund free community college tuition nationwide.

And that’s just the beginning. Economic modeling suggests that mass deportations would reduce GDP, shrink the available labor force in critical sectors like agriculture, construction, and hospitality, and weaken local economies that depend on immigrant spending power. In the long run, the total impact of removing millions of workers could drain hundreds of billions from the nation’s economy and starve public budgets of future revenue.

By spending billions to deport tax-paying workers, this policy effectively cannibalizes the very resources that keep American communities afloat — a cruel irony that no one in Congress seems willing to acknowledge.

The Human Cost: Breaking Up Families and Communities

Numbers alone cannot fully capture the damage this policy inflicts on people. Most of those targeted under this massive enforcement push are nonviolent individuals who have built lives and families in the United States. They raise children, pay taxes, and contribute to their neighborhoods. Many have lived here for decades, with deep roots and ties to their communities.

When these individuals are detained or deported, the harm ripples outward. U.S. citizen children face the trauma of losing a parent and, in some cases, being placed in foster care. Family-owned businesses lose trusted employees and may even close down. Local schools and social services must absorb the shock of suddenly displaced families.

Beyond that, indefinite detention itself is a humanitarian crisis. Overcrowded facilities, poor medical care, and prolonged legal delays have led to deaths and severe mental health harm inside detention centers. Mass deportation plans will inevitably expand these abuses, trapping tens of thousands of people in conditions that violate basic human rights.

By investing billions to break up peaceful families and destabilize communities, this policy trades compassion and stability for fear and cruelty — all in the name of “enforcement.”

Better Uses for $170 Billion

Imagine what $170 billion could achieve if it were invested in strengthening American communities instead of tearing them apart. That money could expand affordable housing, modernize public schools, repair roads and bridges, or dramatically improve our health care system. It could jump-start clean energy projects, expand childcare support, or help reduce student debt.

For example, just a fraction of this enforcement budget — around $10–15 billion per year — could fully fund community college tuition for millions of students, or provide universal preschool nationwide. It could also help rebuild vital rural hospitals, expand mental health care, and improve emergency response systems that are often chronically underfunded.

One powerful alternative would be to invest in a path to legal status or citizenship for undocumented workers. Experts estimate that providing a path to legal status for the roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States would cost about $25–35 billion over a decade — a fraction of what mass deportation and detention will consume. And unlike deportation, this investment would pay dividends: newly legalized immigrants would contribute an estimated $100–150 billion in additional tax revenue over ten years, stabilizing families and fueling local economies.

Instead of spending $170 billion on mass detention and deportation — and losing an additional $35 billion in annual tax revenue from deported workers (a total hit of $205 billion) — we could invest far more wisely. For example, spending $25–35 billion on a path to citizenship, plus another $15–25 billion to fully fund community college or universal preschool, would cost around $50 billion total. This investment would pay itself back many times over, generating $100–150 billion in new tax revenue over a decade and delivering a net gain of $65–115 billion for the nation — not even counting the massive boost to productivity and economic growth from an educated workforce.

Instead of punishing peaceful, tax-paying workers, we could choose to strengthen families, grow the economy, and build a future rooted in fairness and opportunity — a far better return on investment than fear and cruelty.

Conclusion: A Cruel and Pointless Investment

The numbers are clear. The “One Big Beautiful Bill” plans to funnel $170 billion into a massive deportation and detention machine that will break apart families, destabilize communities, and drain billions in tax revenue from our own public budgets. By targeting nonviolent, tax-paying workers, these policies will rob the nation of both moral credibility and financial stability.

For a fraction of that spending — around $50 billion — we could build a path to citizenship and expand educational opportunities, earning back as much as $150 billion in new tax revenue while strengthening families and boosting the broader economy. That is an investment in our future, not an act of political vengeance.

It is time to see these mass deportation strategies for what they truly are: a cruel and pointless waste of taxpayer money. Instead of tearing down communities, we should build them up — with fairness, opportunity, and compassion guiding our policy choices. The American people deserve nothing less.

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Immigration, Taxes Humble Dobber Immigration, Taxes Humble Dobber

Do Undocumented Immigrants Really Drain Our Economy?

Let’s Follow the Money

In the latest push to tighten immigration enforcement, Congress has approved sweeping funding increases to expand detention, speed up deportations, and fortify border security. Supporters of these measures often argue that undocumented immigrants are a drain on taxpayers — that they take more than they give, burdening schools, hospitals, and social services.

But is that true?

Before we dive deeper into what this new enforcement surge could mean — which we’ll cover in a follow-up post — it’s worth pausing to look at the numbers behind a key question: what do undocumented immigrants actually contribute in taxes, and what do they receive in public benefits?

The answer might surprise you. Undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars every year to federal, state, and local governments — often into programs they will never be able to use. In this first post, we’ll break down the real tax contributions of undocumented immigrants and explain why their economic role is far more complicated, and more positive, than the headlines suggest.

Let’s Follow the Money

In the latest push to tighten immigration enforcement, Congress has approved sweeping funding increases to expand detention, speed up deportations, and fortify border security. Supporters of these measures often argue that undocumented immigrants are a drain on taxpayers — that they take more than they give, burdening schools, hospitals, and social services.

But is that true?

Before we dive deeper into what this new enforcement surge could mean — which we’ll cover in a follow-up post — it’s worth pausing to look at the numbers behind a key question: what do undocumented immigrants actually contribute in taxes, and what do they receive in public benefits?

The answer might surprise you. Undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars every year to federal, state, and local governments — often into programs they will never be able to use. In this first post, we’ll break down the real tax contributions of undocumented immigrants and explain why their economic role is far more complicated, and more positive, than the headlines suggest.

Who Are Undocumented Immigrants?

When politicians and commentators talk about “illegal immigrants,” they’re usually referring to people who live and work in the United States without current legal authorization. This includes individuals who crossed the border without inspection as well as those who overstayed a visa.

Estimates put the undocumented population at around 10 to 11 million people nationwide — roughly 3% of the total U.S. population. Many have lived here for years, working in construction, hospitality, agriculture, food service, health care, and other essential sectors. They pay rent, buy groceries, raise families, and participate in their communities just like everyone else.

It’s important to recognize that undocumented immigrants are deeply woven into the fabric of the American workforce and economy. They are not a separate, hidden world — they live among neighbors, coworkers, and classmates across the country.

Who Are Undocumented Immigrants?

When politicians and commentators talk about “illegal immigrants,” they’re usually referring to people who live and work in the United States without current legal authorization. This includes individuals who crossed the border without inspection as well as those who overstayed a visa.

Estimates put the undocumented population at around 10 to 11 million people nationwide — roughly 3% of the total U.S. population. Many have lived here for years, working in construction, hospitality, agriculture, food service, health care, and other essential sectors. They pay rent, buy groceries, raise families, and participate in their communities just like everyone else.

It’s important to recognize that undocumented immigrants are deeply woven into the fabric of the American workforce and economy. They are not a separate, hidden world — they live among neighbors, coworkers, and classmates across the country.

What Taxes Do Undocumented Immigrants Pay?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that undocumented immigrants somehow live “off the books” and avoid paying any taxes. In reality, millions pay into public systems every single day — through multiple channels:

  • Federal and state income taxes: Many file taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), a legal tool from the IRS for people without Social Security numbers. Others have taxes withheld directly from paychecks.

  • Payroll taxes: Contributions to Social Security and Medicare are deducted from undocumented workers’ wages—despite their limited eligibility to ever draw benefits from these programs.

  • State and local taxes: Every time they make a purchase, sales taxes apply. Even renters effectively pay property taxes indirectly through their rent.

According to a 2024 report by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022—approximately $59.4 billion to federal and $37.3 billion to state and local governments.

This substantial contribution—roughly $90 to $97 billion annually—directly challenges the belief that undocumented workers avoid contributing to public coffers.

What Benefits Do They Receive?

It’s a common belief that undocumented immigrants drain public benefits, but the reality is far more limited than many assume. By law, undocumented immigrants are largely excluded from federal programs like Social Security retirement benefits, Medicare, Medicaid (except for emergency care), SNAP (food stamps), and most forms of welfare assistance.

At the state and local level, some benefits do exist — for example, public K–12 education is available to all children regardless of immigration status, thanks to Supreme Court precedent. Emergency medical care must also be provided to anyone in life-threatening circumstances, regardless of status.

Still, compared to what they pay in taxes, undocumented immigrants receive relatively few public benefits. Many pay billions into programs they will never be allowed to use, especially Social Security and Medicare.

In other words, while they do rely on some essential services — like schools for their children or emergency rooms in crisis — the scale of those benefits is small relative to the tax dollars they contribute.

The Net Impact: Are They a Drain or a Benefit?

When you look at the full picture — taxes paid in versus benefits received — undocumented immigrants are far from being a drain on the system. In fact, they create a clear surplus at the federal level.

They contribute billions to Social Security and Medicare each year but cannot claim those benefits, effectively subsidizing these programs for future retirees. On top of that, their spending supports local sales and property tax bases, funding public services and infrastructure.

At the state and local level, there can be modest costs — for example, funding public education for their children or emergency health care. However, multiple studies have found that these costs are generally offset, in whole or in part, by their tax contributions and their economic activity as workers and consumers.

Overall, the evidence shows that undocumented immigrants help stabilize key federal social programs while providing a net positive or near-neutral fiscal impact locally. They are far from the “drain” that headline rhetoric often portrays — and more accurately described as an under-recognized group of taxpayers contributing to America’s shared resources.

Why the Myth Persists

If the numbers so clearly show that undocumented immigrants contribute more than they receive, why does the opposite belief remain so widespread?

Part of the answer is political. The image of “taxpayer-funded freeloaders” makes for a powerful talking point, especially during budget negotiations or election seasons. It taps into broader fears about fairness, economic competition, and the sense that someone is gaming the system.

Another factor is how people see costs at the local level — for example, crowded schools or overburdened hospitals — without connecting those services to the tax money undocumented immigrants pay into those very same systems. Because most people aren’t aware of the billions of dollars these workers contribute behind the scenes, it’s easy to assume they only take and never give.

Finally, the term illegal triggers strong emotions and can overshadow facts. Once a group is labeled “illegal,” it becomes easier to view them as undeserving of basic rights or economic participation, even when the reality is far more complex.

In other words, the myth sticks around because it is emotionally powerful — even if it doesn’t hold up to the math.

Real-World Consequences of Misunderstanding

Believing the myth that undocumented immigrants are a drain on public resources doesn’t just distort the conversation — it can actively make things worse.

When policymakers base laws on the false idea that undocumented immigrants pay no taxes or overuse benefits, they may pass harsh measures that push people deeper into the shadows. That includes restricting work permits, limiting tax-filing protections, or scaring people away from filing taxes altogether.

The result? Less revenue for essential programs like Social Security and Medicare, and more workers pushed into cash-only informal economies, where their contributions disappear from public ledgers entirely.

Criminalizing or isolating millions of workers who are already paying taxes undercuts community stability and can harm local economies that depend on their spending and labor. The more we treat them as outside the system, the less they can legally and visibly contribute — creating exactly the problem the myths claim to fear.

A misunderstanding of the facts doesn’t just breed bad policy — it risks breaking the very tax base many of us rely on.

The Bottom Line

When you look past the slogans and the fear-based rhetoric, the facts are clear: undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes every year, supporting vital programs they often cannot use. They help keep Social Security and Medicare solvent. They pay state and local taxes that fund public schools, roads, and emergency services.

While there are modest costs at the local level — like education and limited emergency care — these are generally balanced, if not exceeded, by their tax contributions and their role in sustaining local economies.

Undocumented immigrants are not a drain on the system. In many ways, they help keep it running.

As Congress directs more resources toward immigration enforcement in the new budget, it is worth asking: are we targeting people who strengthen the economy more than they weaken it?

This is a conversation worth having, based on numbers — not myths.

Sources & Further Reading


If you found this explainer helpful, please consider sharing it — myths about undocumented immigrants and taxes remain powerful, but facts can change minds.

Next time, we’ll dive into how the expanded immigration enforcement funded by the recent budget bill could impact communities, economies, and even the nation’s tax base itself.

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Current Events, Immigration Humble Dobber Current Events, Immigration Humble Dobber

The One Big Beautiful Bill: A $45 Billion Gift to Private Prison Profiteers

America’s federal prisons are overcrowded and underfunded. Nearly 156,000 people are locked up in a system designed for far fewer, while staff shortages and deteriorating conditions keep getting worse. Yet instead of addressing this crisis, Congress just passed the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill yesterday — sending tens of billions to expand immigration detention instead.

This bill marks the largest investment ever in ICE detention centers, aiming to double capacity while leaving federal prisons stuck at overcrowding levels. Private prison corporations and security contractors are the biggest winners, set to collect billions in new contracts funded by taxpayers. Many of these same companies have poured money into political campaigns to keep the cash flowing.

In this post, I’ll break down how much we spend on prisons now, what the new bill adds for ICE detention, who profits, and how the money circles right back to campaign donors.

America’s federal prisons are overcrowded and underfunded. Nearly 156,000 people are locked up in a system designed for far fewer, while staff shortages and deteriorating conditions keep getting worse. Yet instead of addressing this crisis, Congress just passed the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill yesterday — sending tens of billions to expand immigration detention instead.

This bill marks the largest investment ever in ICE detention centers, aiming to double capacity while leaving federal prisons stuck at overcrowding levels. Private prison corporations and security contractors are the biggest winners, set to collect billions in new contracts funded by taxpayers. Many of these same companies have poured money into political campaigns to keep the cash flowing.

In this post, I’ll break down how much we spend on prisons now, what the new bill adds for ICE detention, who profits, and how the money circles right back to campaign donors.

Current State of Federal Prisons and ICE Detention

Federal Prisons (BOP)

  • The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates on an annual budget of around $8.3 billion.

  • It has a rated capacity of about 135,841 beds, but is currently holding over 155,000 inmates — running at roughly 115% capacity.

  • That means tens of thousands of people are packed into overcrowded cells, with too few staff and growing safety problems.

ICE Detention Centers

  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) runs its own network of detention centers, mostly through private contractors.

  • ICE has an average daily detained population of about 56,000 people.

  • Its detention operations cost taxpayers roughly $3.5 billion each year.

In short, the federal prison system is bursting at the seams and ICE is already spending billions to hold migrants and asylum seekers. Instead of fixing chronic overcrowding or investing in alternatives, Congress just opened the floodgates to even more detention spending.

The One Big Beautiful Bill: A Massive Expansion

Yesterday, Congress passed what’s being called the One Big Beautiful Bill, a sweeping package that sends billions of new dollars into immigration enforcement. One headline piece is a staggering $45 billion over four years dedicated just to building and expanding ICE detention centers — including new family facilities and tent-style camps to double capacity.

Altogether, the bill directs up to $150–170 billion over five years for border enforcement, surveillance technology, and a massive hiring push. That means ICE detention capacity could jump from about 56,000 beds to over 100,000, the largest expansion in U.S. history.

Meanwhile, funding for the Federal Bureau of Prisons barely budged. Even though federal prisons are well over capacity and dealing with staffing and safety failures, they will see no major increase beyond the existing $8.3 billion annual budget.

This is a clear political signal: Congress is prioritizing more immigration detention while ignoring a federal prison system on.

Who Benefits From All This Money?

The biggest winners in the One Big Beautiful Bill are the private contractors that run or support ICE detention. These companies have long profited from the growth of the detention system, and now stand to make billions more.

GEO Group is one of the largest private prison operators in the country, running about 99 facilities with an estimated 80,000 beds. It already makes over a billion dollars a year from ICE detention contracts and is in line for even bigger deals under the bill.

CoreCivic, another major player, operates around 65 facilities with 76,000 beds. It has reopened several family detention centers and is positioning itself to grab a huge share of the new contracts.

Other companies like MVM, Inc. — which handles security staffing, transportation, and translation for ICE — will also benefit. And the bill sets aside funding for construction and “temporary” camp infrastructure, which means companies that build and maintain tent facilities, such as Deployed Resources or BLU-MED, are also likely to cash in.

In other words, the billions of taxpayer dollars approved yesterday will go straight into the pockets of private prison corporations and security contractors — not to public defenders, alternatives to detention, or real solutions to overcrowding.

Campaign Contributions: Follow the Money

It’s not just that private prison contractors stand to gain from this bill — they have also been major financial backers of Trump and pro-Trump causes, raising serious questions about whether this is a payoff for their support.

GEO Group is the biggest ICE detention contractor and has spent heavily to keep those contracts flowing. In 2024, GEO-related PACs and executives gave $78,124 directly to Trump’s campaign, with a total of $3.7 million donated across the cycle to GOP-aligned committees (source: OpenSecrets). GEO Group was also the first corporate PAC to max out donations for Trump’s 2024 run, and put another $500,000 into pro-Trump super PACs like MAGA Inc. (source: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington).

CoreCivic has also been a reliable donor. In 2024, the company contributed at least $223,223 to the Republican National Committee, plus hundreds of thousands more to other GOP committees (source: OpenSecrets). In January 2025, CoreCivic gave $500,000 to Trump’s inaugural fund, cementing its political ties (source: ABC News).

These donations line up neatly with the billions in new ICE detention funding approved under the One Big Beautiful Bill. It’s a pattern: the same private contractors who bankroll pro-detention politicians later win lucrative contracts when those politicians are in power.

Beyond campaign cash, there are also plenty of revolving-door connections — for example, former ICE acting director Tom Homan, a prominent Trump ally, later worked for GEO Group, while other ICE officials have landed jobs in private detention companies (source: Prison Legal News).

This cycle of donations, influence, and taxpayer-funded contracts is at the heart of how immigration detention keeps growing. It’s not just policy — it’s a profitable business backed by campaign money.

Conclusion: A Donor Payout

The One Big Beautiful Bill claims to strengthen border security, but the biggest effect will be to pour billions into the same corporations that have fueled the growth of private detention for decades. While federal prisons remain overcrowded and underfunded, private ICE contractors stand to collect record-breaking contracts, bankrolled by taxpayers.

The companies getting these contracts — GEO Group, CoreCivic, and other private operators — are the same ones that have spent millions to support Trump and his allies. That money isn’t charity; it’s an investment, paying off with massive new government contracts.

The pattern is unmistakable. Instead of fixing a broken, overcrowded prison system, Congress has prioritized expanding detention for migrants — all while funneling profits to political donors. This isn’t about making America safer; it’s about rewarding powerful corporations that help bankroll political campaigns.

If we really care about justice and public safety, we should be demanding accountability for these billions — not letting private interests write themselves a blank check.

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Current Events, Immigration Humble Dobber Current Events, Immigration Humble Dobber

Iris Monterroso Lost Her Baby in ICE Custody. We Should All Care.

In May, the Nashville Banner reported on Iris Monterroso, a young woman arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Tennessee while she was eight weeks pregnant. Iris had no criminal record. She was detained in a facility that, by her account, failed to provide medical attention even as she began bleeding. By the time she was finally taken to a hospital, she had miscarried.

It’s a tragedy no matter where you stand on immigration.

It is also a reminder of what happens when enforcement policy pulls in ordinary people — people with no violent histories, no threats to public safety — and places them into harsh, overcrowded conditions.

In May, the Nashville Banner reported on Iris Monterroso, a young woman arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Tennessee while she was eight weeks pregnant. Iris had no criminal record. She was detained in a facility that, by her account, failed to provide medical attention even as she began bleeding. By the time she was finally taken to a hospital, she had miscarried.

It’s a tragedy no matter where you stand on immigration.

It is also a reminder of what happens when enforcement policy pulls in ordinary people — people with no violent histories, no threats to public safety — and places them into harsh, overcrowded conditions.

The Bigger Picture

Since Trump returned to office in 2025, ICE has dramatically escalated arrests of non-criminal immigrants, even beyond the levels seen in 2017. According to the Cato Institute, arrests of non-criminal immigrants have risen more than 1,100%compared to the beginning of Trump’s first term.

  • About two-thirds of people detained have no criminal convictions.

  • Over 93% have no violent record.

This is a policy of pursuing the easiest targets, not necessarily the most dangerous. Many of those picked up were following the immigration system’s own requirements — checking in regularly, reporting their locations, working toward legal status. These are not the people most Americans believe should be prioritized for detention.

Yet they are the ones filling up the beds in detention centers, creating dangerous overcrowding and stretching medical care to the breaking point.

Meanwhile, the immigration courts remain hopelessly backlogged, leaving people stuck for months or even years in stressful, unhealthy detention. Without serious reform to reduce court delays, no amount of oversight alone will fix this.

Why It Should Matter

No pregnant woman should fear losing her baby because she was placed in a government facility.

Iris Monterroso’s story crosses every line of decency. She wanted her baby. She was trying to comply with the system. Yet she was ignored, neglected, and left to lose her pregnancy while in government custody.

This should move every one of us. Whether you see yourself as Pro-Life, Pro-Choice, or somewhere in between, there is a basic principle at stake: human dignity. It should not depend on immigration status.

No one should lose a pregnancy because of neglect in U.S. custody. No child should be lost this way.

What Needs to Change

Oversight of ICE facilities is vital. Congress must step up its inspections, demand transparency, and hold agencies accountable.

But that is only the beginning. Congress must also fix the overwhelmed immigration court system and direct ICE to focus its resources on genuine public-safety threats — not on parents, working people, or others who pose no harm.

This is not about “open borders.” It is about smart, fair priorities and ensuring taxpayer dollars go toward real threats, not the easy-to-catch targets that make families suffer while criminals walk free.

Oversight, immigration court reform, and smarter enforcement priorities — together — are what it will take to prevent tragedies like Iris’s.

Iris Monterroso deserved better. Her baby deserved better. And our country can do better.

Congress must act.


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Theater of Cruelty: Why the Administration’s Immigration Crackdown Solves Nothing

The current administration wants you to believe it’s tough on immigration. They want headlines filled with arrests, detentions, and deportations. They want to project an image of control. But what they’re offering isn’t immigration policy — it’s political theater. It’s expensive, cruel, and completely detached from the root causes of the immigration challenges we actually face.

Let’s break this down.

The current administration wants you to believe it’s tough on immigration. They want headlines filled with arrests, detentions, and deportations. They want to project an image of control. But what they’re offering isn’t immigration policy — it’s political theater. It’s expensive, cruel, and completely detached from the root causes of the immigration challenges we actually face.

Let’s break this down.

Arrests Without Judges, Oversight, or Urgency

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is picking people up on administrative warrants — not criminal ones signed by a judge, but internal paperwork signed by ICE itself. There’s no immediate legal oversight, no court sign-off. In many cases, the people detained won’t see a judge for months or even years, because our immigration court system is so overwhelmed.

This would be like getting pulled over for allegedly speeding, then being jailed indefinitely without seeing a judge — all because a DMV official filled out a form.

Aggressive Tactics for Minor Infractions

Reports show ICE deploying militarized raids, midnight arrests, and detaining individuals for nothing more than civil infractions—expired visas, missed paperwork, or routine check-ins. In many cases, these actions are taken against people with pending asylum applications or Temporary Protected Status (TPS)—not violent criminals. One Los Angeles “military-style” operation resulted in over 40 arrests and was described by advocates as an “oppressive and vile paramilitary operation,” targeting nonviolent individuals in their homes or neighborhoods.

Immigration courts are no longer safe havens either: ICE has been arresting asylum-seekers in courthouse hallways, immediately following hearings or check-ins—even when a person has complied with all legal requirements. According to The Guardian, there were over 1,400 arrests at check-ins in the first month of the new term, mostly targeting individuals with no criminal history.

This isn’t targeted enforcement—it’s intimidation masquerading as policy, wielded against nonviolent, law‑abiding residents.

Due Process Denied

When people are deported — or detained for indefinite periods — without access to a timely hearing, that’s a due process failure. The Fifth Amendment doesn’t say “except for immigrants.” Everyone in this country is entitled to basic procedural fairness, especially when what’s at stake is a person’s freedom or life.

Instead, we have people being sent back to countries they fled from — without having their case properly heard. Or worse, we keep them locked in overcrowded detention centers for years while their case languishes in a backlog.

Congress Kept in the Dark

What’s happening inside those detention centers? It’s hard to say. Lawmakers have reported being denied access or limited to sanitized tours — in direct conflict with Congress’s oversight authority. In fact, the DHS recently imposed a new policy requiring 72 hours advance notice for visits to ICE facilities and explicitly reserving ICE’s “sole and unreviewable discretion” to deny, cancel, or reschedule visits—even when federal law guarantees unannounced access for oversight purposes. Critics argue this is a transparent attempt to shroud detention conditions in secrecy.

If there’s nothing to hide, why the secrecy?

Root Causes Ignored

Here’s what’s really happening: the current surge in migrants isn’t due to lawlessness. It’s due to failed states, violence, climate change, and economic collapse in parts of Central America and beyond. People are not “invading” — they’re fleeing. The U.S. system used to recognize this through legal protections like asylum and TPS.

But instead of investing in solutions — faster asylum hearings, more judges, legal representation, and regional diplomacy — the administration has chosen to invest in fear. Fear looks good on campaign ads, but it doesn’t solve the crisis. It just manufactures cruelty.

A Broken System Doesn’t Need More Punishment — It Needs Reform

Imagine this:

You’re accused of a traffic violation — let’s say going 10 MPH over the speed limit. But instead of getting a court date in a few weeks, you’re arrested on the spot. Then you’re told it’ll take 5 years to resolve your case because the courts are backed up. During that time, you sit in a crowded jail, even if you have a spotless record. You never get a trial. You can’t appeal. You might be sent somewhere you don’t know, without seeing a lawyer or judge at all.

That’s what’s happening right now — just swap the traffic court for immigration court.

We Need a Real Fix

We don’t need more agents, more raids, or more detention centers. We need judges, caseworkers, legal aid, and sensible timelines. We need a functional, humane immigration system — one that recognizes the difference between a paperwork violation and a criminal threat. One that lives up to America’s promise of fairness and due process.

What we’re doing now isn’t solving the problem — it’s just turning people’s lives into props for a political show.

If we truly care about justice, safety, and human dignity, we must stop treating immigration as a stage for cruelty — and start building a system that works.

It’s time to bring the curtain down and do some real work.

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What is MS-13, and How Did the U.S. Help Create It?

In our last post, we explored how the language we use—"undocumented" vs. "illegal"—shapes how we treat immigrants. But words are just one piece of the puzzle. To truly understand today’s immigration crisis, we also need to look at the deeper forces that push people to flee their homes in the first place. One of the most common explanations we hear is "gang violence." And one gang in particular gets all the headlines: MS-13.

You may have heard MS-13 described as a foreign threat, a violent force from Central America invading U.S. cities. But the truth is far more complicated—and far more uncomfortable. MS-13 didn’t come from El Salvador. It came from the United States. And U.S. policy played a major role in making it what it is today.

In our last post, we explored how the language we use—"undocumented" vs. "illegal"—shapes how we treat immigrants. But words are just one piece of the puzzle. To truly understand today’s immigration crisis, we also need to look at the deeper forces that push people to flee their homes in the first place. One of the most common explanations we hear is "gang violence." And one gang in particular gets all the headlines: MS-13.

You may have heard MS-13 described as a foreign threat, a violent force from Central America invading U.S. cities. But the truth is far more complicated—and far more uncomfortable. MS-13 didn’t come from El Salvador. It came from the United States. And U.S. policy played a major role in making it what it is today.

What Is MS-13?

The gang known as MS-13, short for Mara Salvatrucha, began in Los Angeles in the 1980s. "Mara" is Central American slang for gang. "Salvatrucha" likely combines "Salvadoran" with "trucha," a slang term meaning clever or alert. The "13" refers to their allegiance to the Mexican Mafia, also known as "La Eme."

MS-13 was formed by young Salvadoran immigrants, many of them refugees fleeing a brutal civil war back home. In L.A., they faced violence from other established gangs and little protection from law enforcement. Banding together for protection and identity, these youths started what would become MS-13. At the time, it was a small, local street gang—not the international criminal network it would later become.

The U.S. Role in the Salvadoran Civil War

To understand why so many Salvadorans fled to the U.S. in the first place, we have to look at the Salvadoran Civil War (1979–1992). During this conflict, the U.S. poured billions of dollars into supporting El Salvador's right-wing military government, viewing the conflict as part of the global Cold War fight against communism.

The Reagan administration, in particular, funneled aid and weapons to Salvadoran forces despite widespread reports of human rights abuses. U.S.-trained military units like the Atlacatl Battalion were responsible for massacres, including the infamous 1981 El Mozote massacre, where over 800 civilians were killed. Even after this, U.S. support continued.

These policies prolonged the war, destabilized the country, and left tens of thousands dead and even more displaced. Many of the refugees from this war ended up in Los Angeles, where MS-13 was born.

How Deportation Spread the Gang Internationally

In the 1990s, U.S. immigration policy took a sharp turn. The 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), signed by President Bill Clinton, expanded the list of crimes that could lead to mandatory deportation. Even legal immigrants with minor convictions were now subject to removal, often with no chance to plead their case before a judge.

Thousands of young people with gang ties were deported to El Salvador, a country still recovering from war and lacking the institutions to reintegrate them. In this chaotic environment, MS-13 evolved. What started as a U.S.-based street gang became a transnational criminal organization with a foothold in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Militarization and the Politics of Fear

After 9/11, the U.S. increasingly treated gang violence as a national security issue. MS-13 became a symbol used to justify tough-on-crime and anti-immigration policies. Successive administrations—Republican and Democrat alike—poured funding into militarized police, detention centers, and border security.

Meanwhile, U.S.-backed anti-gang crackdowns in Central America, like El Salvador's "Mano Dura" (Iron Fist) policies, often backfired. They filled prisons with young people, deepened gang identities, and gave MS-13 the structure and space to become more organized and violent.

A Bipartisan Legacy

The rise of MS-13 is not the fault of one party. It's the product of decades of decisions:

  • Reagan and Bush Sr. funded the Salvadoran war effort and ignored atrocities.

  • Clinton signed the 1996 deportation law that exported gang violence.

  • George W. Bush framed MS-13 as a national security threat.

  • Obama continued large-scale deportations while trying to stabilize the region.

  • Trump used MS-13 as a political weapon to justify stripping asylum rights.

Each of these steps contributed to the conditions that allowed MS-13 to thrive.

Why It Matters Today

MS-13 is often cited to justify harsh immigration crackdowns. But many of the people arriving at our southern border today are fleeing the very violence that U.S. policy helped create. Instead of treating them as threats, we should be asking what it would take to stop the cycle of violence and displacement.

Toward Solutions: What Real Reform Looks Like

We can’t undo the past, but we can stop repeating it. Here are a few ways forward:

Reform Deportation Laws

  • End mandatory deportation for minor, non-violent offenses.

  • Restore judicial discretion and case-by-case review.

Expand Legal Migration Pathways

  • Create regional asylum processing centers.

  • Increase access to Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Invest in Central America—Beyond Police and Prisons

  • Prioritize education, healthcare, and economic development.

  • Fund anti-corruption efforts and civil society organizations.

End the Criminalization of Migration

  • Make unauthorized border crossings civil, not criminal, offenses.

Restore Asylum Protections and Due Process

  • Reinstate fair asylum interviews.

  • Expand access to legal representation.

Fund Local Violence Prevention

  • Support youth outreach, gang exit programs, and trauma care.

Invest in Root-Cause Solutions—They Cost Less and Work Better

  • Detaining an immigrant in the U.S. costs about $165 per person per day (source).

  • Vocational training in El Salvador can cost as little as $0.25 per hour (source).

  • That means for the cost of one day of detention, we could provide 660 hours of job training—a far better investment in long-term safety and stability.

Conclusion: Accountability and Responsibility

MS-13 didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It was shaped by U.S. foreign policy, immigration law, and decades of political choices. We destabilized El Salvador, exported our gang problems, and then used the fallout to justify fear-driven policies.

But we have the power to break that cycle. By investing in people, not prisons, and by treating migration as a human challenge—not a criminal one—we can build a safer, more just future for everyone.

And let’s be honest: compassion isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s also cheaper.

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Undocumented, Not Illegal

Rethinking Immigration, Enforcement, and Economic Reality

Every time you hear the phrase “illegal immigrant,” you’re hearing more than just a label — you’re hearing a political argument. Words matter, especially when they shape public perception, guide policy, and justify unequal treatment.

In the U.S., the immigration debate is often reduced to a caricature: lawbreaking border crossers versus patriotic enforcers. But the real picture is far more complex — and far more human. This post breaks down what the language of immigration says (and doesn’t say), how enforcement actually works, and what real solutions could look like for immigrants, employers, and the nation as a whole.

Rethinking Immigration, Enforcement, and Economic Reality

Every time you hear the phrase “illegal immigrant,” you’re hearing more than just a label — you’re hearing a political argument. Words matter, especially when they shape public perception, guide policy, and justify unequal treatment.

In the U.S., the immigration debate is often reduced to a caricature: lawbreaking border crossers versus patriotic enforcers. But the real picture is far more complex — and far more human. This post breaks down what the language of immigration says (and doesn’t say), how enforcement actually works, and what real solutions could look like for immigrants, employers, and the nation as a whole.

“Undocumented” vs. “Illegal”: What’s the Difference?

Many people use “illegal immigrant” to describe anyone without legal status in the U.S., but that term is both legally imprecise and politically loaded.

Here’s why:

  • Undocumented immigrants are people who are in the country without current legal authorization — often because they overstayed a visa (a civil violation) or entered without inspection (a misdemeanor on first offense).

  • “Illegal” implies that the person themselves is a crime — not just their action. But under U.S. law, only actions can be illegal. There’s no such thing as an “illegal person.”

Even major style guides like the Associated Press now recommend using “undocumented” rather than “illegal” to avoid dehumanizing language that fuels stigma.

What Happens to Undocumented Workers?

Undocumented immigrants face steep consequences — detention, deportation, separation from families, and bars to future legal re-entry — even when they’ve lived in the U.S. for years, paid taxes, and contributed to their communities.

And despite popular myths, they’re less likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens. A 2024 Reuters fact check showed that in Texas, the homicide conviction rate for undocumented immigrants was 2.2 per 100,000 — lower than the 3.0 per 100,000 rate for native-born Americans.

Still, immigration enforcement disproportionately targets undocumented individuals, even though many are filling essential roles in our economy.

What Happens to Employers Who Hire Them?

Federal law requires employers to verify a new hire’s authorization using Form I-9, but enforcement is notoriously lax. Many employers simply accept documents that “reasonably appear genuine” — even when they suspect otherwise. And it’s completely legal for them to do so, as long as they don’t knowingly violate the law.

Penalties on Paper

  • Civil fines range from $698 to $27,894 per unauthorized worker.

  • Criminal charges can apply for a pattern of illegal hiring, with fines up to $3,000 per worker and up to 6 months in jail.

In Practice

Very few employers are prosecuted. While two companies did forfeit $2 million each in 2024, these cases are the exception, not the rule. A 2021 shift in DHS policy ended mass workplace raids and focused instead on employers who exploit labor, but audits remain rare and underfunded (source).

Who’s Really Working Without Papers?

The U.S. economy runs on undocumented labor — and has for decades.

  • As of 2022, about 11 million people were living in the U.S. without legal status, with 8.3 million of them in the workforce — about 4.8% of all U.S. workers (Pew Research).

  • In some industries, that presence is even higher:

    • Construction: 13%

    • Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing: 12%

    • Leisure & Hospitality: 7% (source)

These jobs are often grueling, poorly paid, and unfilled by U.S. citizens. In short: undocumented immigrants are doing work that needs to be done, but the system provides no legal way for them to do it.

Access to Social Services: Facts vs. Fear

Contrary to popular belief, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for nearly all federal public assistance programs. That includes:

  • Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, and housing assistance

  • Exceptions include:

    • Emergency medical care (via Emergency Medicaid)

    • Public K–12 education (guaranteed by Plyler v. Doe, 1982)

    • Free/reduced school meals and WIC benefits for children (Migration Policy Institute)

Even where benefits are technically accessible, fear often keeps people away. The Trump-era “public charge” rule created a chilling effect that reduced participation in programs by mixed-status families, including U.S. citizen children (The Guardian).

So why do undocumented immigrants stay? It’s not for free stuff. It’s for work — often the only path to stability, family reunification, or even safety from persecution.

Enforcement for Workers vs. Employers: A Lopsided Reality

Undocumented workers face deportation, detention, and the daily risk of losing everything — including family. Employers, on the other hand, often walk away with minimal consequences. This lopsided system reflects not just legal inconsistency, but a willful blindness to the economic realities that drive undocumented employment.

Immigrants aren’t coming here because the U.S. is handing out benefits — they’re coming because employers are hiring. And they’re staying because the work is here, and the law provides no viable way for most of them to participate legally.

What Would a Better System Look Like?

Reform isn’t just possible — it’s necessary. Here’s what a more functional, humane, and economically sound immigration system could include:

Expanded Legal Work Visas

Current visa programs for low-wage labor (like H-2A for agriculture) are cumbersome and too limited. We need scalable, affordable visa pathways that match labor market needs without exploiting workers.

Earned Legalization

Millions of undocumented immigrants have lived here for years, paid taxes, raised families, and contributed to our communities. A path to legal status — not necessarily citizenship — would benefit them and the economy.

Real Accountability for Employers

Make enforcement real — not by punishing paperwork errors, but by cracking down on companies that exploit workers or knowingly break the law. Pair penalties with support for ethical hiring practices.

National E-Verify with Worker Protections

Implement a national employment verification system with strict oversight to prevent discrimination, wrongful firings, and misuse.

Decouple Immigration from Local Policing

People should feel safe reporting crimes or labor violations without risking deportation. Separating immigration enforcement from local law enforcement is key to public safety and workplace fairness.

Conclusion: Language, Logic, and Leadership

“Illegal immigrant” isn’t just an inaccurate term — it’s a distraction. It blames the people with the least power while letting the system’s real flaws go unaddressed.

If we want an immigration system that actually works — for citizens, immigrants, and employers alike — we need to be honest about who’s here, why they’re here, and what the law is doing (or failing to do) about it.

The problem isn’t that undocumented immigrants are breaking the law.

The problem is that the law is broken.

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