The bipartisan border bill that Republican lawmakers opposed last week would have provided $6 billion in supplemental funding for ICE enforcement operations.
"A reduction in ICE operations would significantly harm border security, national security, and public safety."
The legislation offered a major funding injection for ICE. It was among the most significant concessions to Republicans by Democratic lawmakers, who have long attempted to restrain ICE enforcement within U.S. cities and communities by opposing big increases to detention and deportation spending.
In response to The Washington Post's reporting on the ICE contingency plans, Sen. Jon Tester sent a letter to GOP congressional leaders Wednesday urging them to pass border security legislation "That was the result of months of tough negotiations."
Activists who have campaigned to close immigration detention facilities or argued ICE should be eliminated entirely - and who normally denounce Republican hard-liners - were pleased to see GOP lawmakers kill the border bill.
Most of the detainees in ICE custody are not immigrants arrested in U.S. cities for crimes, but recent arrivals taken into custody along the Mexico border, ICE statistics show.
A major reduction in ICE detention capacity would be likely to lead to more deportation-eligible migrants getting released from U.S. custody along the border, DHS officials said.
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