ICE’s spending on weaponry has soared more than 700 percent this year

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased weapons spending by 700% since Trump's January 2025 inauguration, with $71.5 million spent on "small arms, ordnance and ordnance accessories" through October 18, 2025[^{1]. The purchases include chemical weapons, guided missile warheads, explosive components, and a $9.1 million order of semi-automatic and automatic rifles from Geissele Automatics[}1].

This arms buildup coincides with increased ICE violence, including shooting a pastor with pepper balls, accidentally shooting a U.S. Marshal during an arrest, and firing chemical agents at journalists[^{1]. For comparison, ICE spent just $5.7 million on weapons through October 2019, and averaged $8.4 million annually during Trump's first term[}1].

[^1]: Mother Jones - ICE's spending on weaponry has soared more than 700 percent this year