President Donald Trump on June 10 signed the Secure America Act, a US$70 billion supplemental appropriation that fully funds U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the remainder of his term. Immigration-focused law firm Ogletree Deakins analysed the measure in its June 12 “Beltway Buzz.” The legislation locks in hiring targets for 6,500 additional Border Patrol agents, expands the use of facial-recognition at land and air ports of entry, and mandates the nationwide roll-out of mobile biometric exit checks by September 2027. It also earmarks funds for 20 new ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) work-site audit teams. For global mobility managers the predictable agency funding removes shutdown-related processing jitters but heightens enforcement exposure: employers can expect a spike in I-9 audits, site visits and penalties tied to the new budget targets. Companies relying on frequent cross-border travel should prepare for more thorough secondary inspections as CBP applies fresh resources to biometric-exit implementation. The law arrives amid record demand for travel tied to the World Cup, the 250th U.S. anniversary and a rebounding conference market. Proactive compliance—ranging from I-9 self-audits to traveller document checks—will be essential to avoid costly disruptions under the better-resourced enforcement regime.
Source: Ogletree Deakins – Beltway Buzz
