Business

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to launch a tougher immigration crackdown in 2026, backed by billions in new funding. This includes plans to increase raids on workplaces, even as opposition grows ahead of next year's midterm elections. Trump has already sent more immigration agents into major U.S. cities, leading to clashes with local residents. This year, federal agents executed some notable raids on businesses, but they mostly steered clear of farms and factories that rely on immigrant labor without legal status. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol will receive an additional $170 billion in funding until September 2029. This marks a significant increase over their current annual budget of about $19 billion, following a large spending bill approved by the Republican-led Congress in July. Officials from the administration have stated their intention to hire thousands more agents, open new detention facilities, apprehend more immigrants in local jails, and work with private companies to locate those without legal status. These expanded deportation efforts are moving forward despite signs of political pushback ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Miami, which has a large immigrant population and has been heavily impacted by Trump's policies, elected its first Democratic mayor in almost 30 years last week, a move the mayor-elect attributed partly to the president's actions. Other local elections and surveys indicate that voters are increasingly worried about harsh immigration measures. Mike Madrid, a moderate Republican political strategist, said, “People are starting to see this not just as an immigration issue but as a violation of rights, due process, and a militarization of neighborhoods that goes against the Constitution.” He added, “This is undoubtedly a problem for the president and the Republicans.”