Op-ed by Art Gordon, CBB Advisory Council Member: ICE and Border Patrol Finally Assured Stable Funding

The Secure America Act will allow these agencies to plan, hire, train, and operate over the next three years without the constant threat of political brinkmanship.

Art Gordon is a retired ATF Supervisory Special Agent with 33 years of law enforcement experience, and past national president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. He now serves on the Law Enforcement Advisory Council of Citizens Behind the Badge.

McLean, VA (June 20, 2026) - At a moment when the nation is confronting record migration challenges, rising transnational crime, and unprecedented demands on our border infrastructure, the men and women of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Border Patrol continue to stand their posts. They do so with professionalism, courage, and a sense of duty that rarely receives the recognition it deserves. For too long, what they received instead was political hostility, legislative obstruction, and attempts to restrict their ability to enforce the laws Congress itself passed.

This month, that finally changed.

Earlier this spring, Congress approved a bipartisan appropriations package that funded most of the Department of Homeland Security — including the Secret Service, TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and other DHS components — but left ICE and the U.S. Border Patrol out of the deal due to ongoing political disputes. After months of delay, both chambers acted decisively. Continue reading on Substack for free: https://behindbadge.substack.com/p/ice-and-border-patrol-finally-assured