Eric Schmitt

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., on Tuesday praised House passage of the $70 billion Secure America Act, highlighting a provision he authored that provides $350 million for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest and detain illegal aliens released from local custody rather than transferred to federal authorities.

The House approved the reconciliation package 214-212 on Tuesday, days after the Senate passed the measure 52-47. President Donald Trump is expected to swiftly sign the bill.

Schmitt's provision establishes a $350 million fund for ICE operations involving detainer management, release monitoring, custodial transfers, transportation, arrests, and detention of illegal aliens released by state and local jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

"Sanctuary cities built a system where criminal illegal aliens walk out of jail instead of into ICE custody," Schmitt wrote on X after the House vote. "The House just passed my $350M ICE provision. It now heads to President Trump's desk. Arrest them. Detain them. Deport them."

Schmitt said the funding was needed because sanctuary jurisdictions released 17,864 illegal aliens from custody in 2025 rather than transferring them to ICE.

"In 2025 alone, sanctuary cities and states released nearly 18,000 aliens from custody instead of transferring them to ICE," Schmitt said Friday after the Senate passed the Secure America Act. "That is a betrayal of every American family forced to live with the consequences. This is about common sense immigration enforcement in our country.

"It targets illegal aliens, already in custody, identified by ICE, released because the Left would rather protect sanctuary politics than American citizens. If sanctuary cities will not protect their people, ICE will have the resources to do the job. This is a major victory for public safety, border security, and the rule of law."