Joe Biden’s border crisis is getting expensive. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is on track to run out of money before October if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not shift millions of dollars from other programs. ICE is looking at an estimated $345 million shortfall by the end of the fiscal year. There is going to have to be some creative bookkeeping in DHS’s near future.

The news of ICE’s budget shortfall comes via a scoop from Axios published on Wednesday night. ICE is a favorite target of progressives and they would like nothing more than for the agency to be defunded. Open borders progressives don’t think that illegal immigrants should be arrested and detained. Biden’s new policies and court decisions have added to ICE’s expenses.

The administration shifted significantly toward alternatives to detention in the face of record arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border. Roughly 300,000 migrants are currently enrolled in these contracted tracking programs, according to internal data seen by Axios. That doesn’t include additional migrant spouses or children who crossed with enrollees.

It also planned to spend roughly $15 million on training for its officers to adhere to Biden’s enforcement priorities, which focused on arrests of convicted criminals. Those priorities have now been struck down by a federal court.

ICE had to foot the roughly $100 million bill to restart the Remain in Mexico policy in line with court orders, though a recent Supreme Court ruling will allow the Biden administration to end the program. Another $14 million went toward an increase in detained immigrants making calls, including international calls to family members, according to another source.

DHS is looking at moving $100M from the Coast Guard budget. Also, about $80M may be moved around existing ICE funds internally. That’s only $180M. Where is the rest of the shortfall going to come from? This is ICE’s largest request for more cash ever. It isn’t, however, the only request within DHS. This is one of the problems of hiring cabinet members and agency leaders who have never worked in the private sector. Most of Biden’s appointees do not have business experience. So, when the old policies of the previous administration were tossed out, new programs had to be implemented and personnel had to be retrained. The loosey-goosey attitude toward securing the southern border has resulted in historically high numbers of migrants crossing into the United States. This requires additional personnel and resources at the border. Imagine what ICE’s shortfall would be if Mayorkas truly allocated enough personnel and resources to the border.

DHS must notify Congress to redistribute funds but it doesn’t require legislative approval. The shortfall is likely the result of low estimates in this fiscal year’s budget and poor budget management. DHS should err on the side of asking for too much money for ICE in the next fiscal year’s budget because the Biden border crisis isn’t getting any better.

BREAKING: One of the most massive single groups we have ever witnessed cross illegally at the border is crossing into Eagle Pass, TX right now. The line of people went so far into the trees it’s hard to get a count. Hundreds upon hundreds. Coyotes guiding them in water. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/ZjZIygarAv

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 13, 2022

The entire group has now crossed over to the U.S. side and is beginning to emerge from the brush along the river. Two cartel guides in the water are now wading back to Mexico. This was about as clear of an example of a large scale cartel smuggling op as you’ll see. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/81esACvS0j

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 13, 2022

Biden and Mayorkas are not in control of the southern border. Drug and human trafficking cartels are.

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