Immigration agency spent more than $70 million in the first nine months of the year on small arms and ordnance as it ramped up its crackdown on undocumented migrants, data reveals
ICE has spent more than $70 million on new weapons in the first nine months of President Donald Trump’s second term, a 700 percent increase on the same period in 2024, according to a report.
Citing records from the Federal Procurement Data System, Popular Information reports that the immigration force, which answers to Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security, spent $71,515,762 on purchases of “small arms, ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing” between January 20 and October 18.
That compares to $9,715,843 in the equivalent period in 2024 under Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, and an average annual spend of just $8.4 million in the current president’s first term between 2017 and 2021.
“Small arms” refers to armor, explosives, chemical weapons, pistols, and rifles while “ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing” denotes other materials like artillery, barrels, extractors, and mounts.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Independent that reporting that some of ICE’s spending had gone on “guided missile warheads and explosive components” was false.
