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U.S. Pours Billions into ICE and Deportations While Cutting Healthcare and Food Assistance for Millions of Americans
Last year, the United States made a clear choice about what it wanted to invest in — and what it was willing to cut.
Congress and the Trump administration approved massive spending increases for immigration enforcement, pouring money into expanded ICE operations, Border Patrol staffing, detention centers, surveillance technology, and deportation infrastructure. At the same time, lawmakers moved forward with deep cuts to food assistance and health coverage that millions of American families rely on to survive.
In 2026, the federal government is set to spend $11 billion on ICE alone. Meanwhile, SNAP is facing roughly $9 billion in cuts this year and $186 billion over the next decade, leaving millions of families in limbo.
Those trade-offs don’t stop there. By 2034, federal funding for Medicaid — which covers one in five Americans — is projected to be cut by $1 trillion.
These programs are lifelines for millions of Americans.
SNAP isn’t extra money. It’s groceries. It’s cereal, milk, rice, and diapers bought instead of skipped. When funding is cut, families don’t just “tighten their belts.” They skip meals. Kids show up to school hungry. Parents are forced to choose between rent and food. Pediatricians see more anemia, more developmental delays, and more stress-related illness.
Health care isn’t optional either. It’s doctor visits, prescriptions, mental health care, prenatal care, and cancer screenings. When funding drops, families don’t simply adjust — they delay care, skip preventive visits, and wait until conditions worsen. Health outcomes decline, and long-term costs rise.
Medicaid is one of the nation’s most relied-upon health programs, covering low-income children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Because of the cuts and policy changes in the new federal budget law, millions more people could lose coverage or find it increasingly difficult to access care in the years ahead.
These are not abstract budget numbers. They shape real lives — determining whether families stay fed, insured, healthy, and secure.
We can choose a different path. We can keep families insured, make health care accessible, and strengthen communities.
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