Trump Administration Diverted $2 Billion in Pentagon Funds to Target Immigrants, Lawmakers Say |
The Trump Administration has siphoned off at least $2 billion from the Pentagon budget for anti-immigration measures, with plans to more than double that number in the coming fiscal year, according to a report released Thursday by Democratic lawmakers.
The report, titled “Draining Defense,” took aim at the Trump administration for what it described as prioritizing hard-line border initiatives and political stunts at the expense of the military’s ability to protect the nation and respond to emergencies.
“It’s an insult to our service members that Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem are using the defense budget as a slush fund for political stunts. Stripping military resources to promote a wasteful political agenda doesn’t make our military stronger or Americans safer,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., one of the lawmakers who prepared the report, told The Intercept. “Congress needs to step in and hold the Trump Administration accountable for mishandling billions of taxpayer dollars.”
The report noted that the Pentagon’s requested budget for 2026 indicates that the Defense Department plans to spend at least $5 billion for operations on the southern border alone.
President Donald Trump has made a crackdown on immigration and closed borders........