The Senate passed President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill when Vice President JD Vance broke the tie vote Tuesday. The controversial legislation calls for major changes in health care, taxes, and immigration.
Fabiola Landeros is a human rights and immigration organizer with El Centro in Albuquerque and said that her community called the legislation the “big bad betrayal” bill. Landeros is one of many advocates watching ICE raids increase all over the country, and deportation rates spiking with concern.
“These constant attacks to our families, what they’re creating is terror. Not feeling safe to do basic things like going to work, taking our kids to school,” Landeros said.
There are four big ways this tax bill could affect immigrants: additional barriers and security along the border, new detention centers, immigration court staffing, and increased fees.
There is $46.5 billion set aside in the bill to bolster security along the U.S.-Mexico border. These funds would go to adding new technology like motion-sensor cameras and additions like river barriers.
Another $45 billion is set to broaden the network of detention facilities across the country and part of these funds are allocated to hiring more ICE staff.
An additional $1.25 billion would go to aiding immigration courts. This means hiring more staff in order to move immigration cases along more quickly.
As it stands now, the bill would make it more expensive to even seek legal immigration into the U.S. For example, applying for asylum is currently free, but under the bill it would cost $1,000 to even be considered.
Landeros says that it will not only affect immigrants. The bill aims to make budget cuts to essential services, such as Medicaid and SNAP, which are used by millions of Americans.
“This is a bill that is going to affect every single person in this country,” Landeros said.
The bill is headed back to the House now. Trump intends for the bill to be signed by Friday, July 4.
