Just as Democratic and Republican lawmakers prepare to battle it out over the proposed U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget following fatal immigration enforcement shootings in Minneapolis, newly released financial disclosures show that while the cabinet agency increased its immigration enforcement spending, it also sharply expanded its catastrophe and disaster financing footprint in fiscal 2025 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Congress is facing a renewed funding standoff over DHS ahead of the January 30 deadline, after Senate Democrats said they would not support a $64.4 billion DHS funding bill following two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.
According to DHS audited financials released last week, FEMA spending posted a 44% year-over-year increase in net cost in fiscal 2025, rising to roughly $56 billion, up more than $17 billion from the prior year. The increase makes FEMA the single largest marginal driver of DHS spending, eclipsing typical annual changes across border enforcement, aviation security, and maritime operations.
