The Trump administration diverted more than $2 billion from US military funds in 2025 to support immigration enforcement operations, significantly weakening military readiness and placing additional strain on servicemembers, according to a report released by Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
The report, titled “Draining Defense: Trump’s Immigration Stunts Cost Billions at the Expense of Military Readiness, Morale, and National Security,” states that the Department of Defense (DoD) has obligated billions of dollars toward immigration-related missions—spending that lawmakers argue falls outside the military’s core national security responsibilities.
“The Department of Defense has dedicated at least $2 billion to supporting immigration enforcement — money that should have gone toward supporting its core national security mission,” the report said, adding that the Pentagon is expected to spend “billions more” in the next fiscal year.
Pentagon Funds Diverted Without Reimbursement
According to the lawmakers, most of the diverted funds have not been reimbursed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), forcing the Pentagon to redirect money away from essential military priorities. These include training programmes, housing repairs, infrastructure upgrades, and even maintenance work at schools attended by children of servicemembers.
The report says the financial diversions have affected everything from barracks upkeep to repairs at military family housing and education facilities, creating long-term consequences for troop welfare and operational preparedness.
Costly Troop Deployments Across the US
The report documents the extensive use of active-duty troops and National Guard units in immigration enforcement roles. These deployments included missions along the US-Mexico border and operations in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and Memphis.
Lawmakers estimate that border deployments alone cost approximately $1.3 billion, while domestic deployments inside the US added another $258 million.
In Los Angeles, a military deployment supporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations cost an estimated $172 million. The expenses covered food, shelter, payroll, travel, logistics, and demobilisation costs for thousands of Marines and National Guard personnel, the report said.
Immigrant Detention on Military Bases
Detention operations carried out on military installations accounted for hundreds of millions of dollars more, the report said. The DoD obligated over $420 million for detention-related activities, including more than $363 million spent at Fort Bliss in Texas.
The Fort Bliss facility has already violated at least 60 federal standards for immigrant detention, according to the report.
The Trump administration also expanded the use of Guantánamo Bay for immigration detention, marking a significant departure from previous practice. In just the first month, the DoD spent around $40 million detaining noncitizens there.
Detaining migrants at Guantánamo is far more expensive than detention inside the continental US due to transportation, staffing, and infrastructure costs, the report noted.
High-Cost Deportation Flights Using Military Aircraft
Military aircraft were increasingly used for deportations, sharply increasing operational costs. The report highlighted that flying a C-17 military aircraft costs $28,500 per hour, compared to $8,500 per hour for a standard ICE charter flight.
By September 2025, at least $33.1 million had been spent on deportation flights using military planes. This included flights to India, each of which reportedly cost around $3 million.
Military Lawyers Reassigned as Immigration Judges
The report also raised concerns about the reassignment of military legal personnel. Up to 600 Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers were authorised to serve as temporary immigration judges, a move estimated to cost $55 million in pay and benefits.
Lawmakers said the reassignment pulled legal officers away from military justice and operational legal duties, further impacting readiness.
Risks to Military Readiness and Disaster Response
Beyond financial costs, the report warned of serious readiness risks. Combat-certified units were reassigned to immigration missions, making them unavailable for contingency operations.
National Guard deployments for immigration enforcement also reduced states’ capacity to respond to natural disasters, including wildfires and floods, the report said.
“The Trump administration must stop degrading the military’s fundamental mission by diverting the military’s budget and critical resources to DHS’s immigration functions,” the report stated, calling for full reimbursement and an end to such diversions.
Global Security Concerns
While immigration enforcement has remained a defining priority of the administration—often framed as a national security issue—the report’s authors warned that diverting military resources to domestic law enforcement could weaken the United States’ ability to respond to global security challenges.
For US allies and partners, including India, the lawmakers cautioned that such policies risk undermining America’s strategic posture, particularly in geopolitically sensitive regions.