Grijalva, Stanton, Ansari Introduce Bill to Redirect ICE Funding to Public Schools, Require Sale of Detention Warehouses

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Adelita S. Grijalva, and Representatives Greg Stanton (AZ-04) and Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), introduced the Fund Schools, Not ICE Act, legislation that would redirect billions of dollars in funding provided to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Republicans' second reconciliation bill to Title I public schools and require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to sell 11 recently purchased warehouse detention facilities. 

Title I, Part A is the nation's largest federal K-12 education program, supporting schools serving low-income students. Nearly 20 percent of public school funding in Arizona comes from the federal government, making federal investments critical to supporting Arizona classrooms facing chronic underfunding. 

The legislation would transfer any unobligated ICE funding provided under Republicans' reconciliation bill—which gave ICE an additional $38.5 billion in funding through 2029—to Title I, Part A grants for local school districts. As of May, ICE has $62 billion on hand. 

"Instead of wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on inhumane, for-profit detention warehouses and pouring even more money into a lawless agency that is murdering people on our streets, we should be investing in our children and strengthening our public schools," said Rep. Adelita Grijalva. "At a time when the Trump administration is systematically defunding public education, this bill puts our students ahead of Trump's cruel mass deportation agenda." 

"Public school districts across the country are facing massive challenges and chronic underfunding, yet again this Administration funneled billions in taxpayer funds for its dangerous mass deportation agenda," said Rep. Greg Stanton. "ICE's poorly trained force is not making Americans safer—it's causing chaos and fear. My legislation ensures that our classrooms, not ICE, have the resources and support they need to educate our next generation." 

"ICE has done nothing to keep our communities safe. Instead, they have used the billions of dollars in funding handed over by Trump and Republicans to terrorize our communities and murder American citizens," said Rep. Yassamin Ansari. "Our schools are safe places, and our resources should be used to support students, not expand ICE's presence in our communities. I'm proud to stand with my colleagues in introducing this legislation." 

In addition to redirecting unused ICE funding to public schools, the Fund Schools, Not ICE Act would require DHS to sell, within 60 days of enactment, the 11 warehouse facilities it purchased earlier this year for nearly $1 billion to use as immigration detention centers—including the warehouse in Surprise, Arizona.