Popular Information: “From the outset of President Trump’s second term, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has engaged in a deadly immigration crackdown that has trampled the constitutional rights of migrants and US citizens. During the operation, there have been 28 incidents where immigration agents shot at people, resulting in eight deaths, according to an analysis by The Trace. On July 13, an ICE officer fatally shot Joan Sebastian Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old delivery driver from Colombia authorized to work in the US. On July 7, an ICE officer shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a father of three who worked in the US for more than three decades. According to federal courts, ICE agents have repeatedly violated the rights of citizens, stopping people for “looking Mexican,” conducting warrantless raids, and ignoring due process. Peaceful protestors and journalists have been targeted with chemical agents, rubber bullets, and flash grenades. Since January 2025, at least 52 people have died in ICE custody from a variety of causes, including medical neglect and homicide. While this dragnet reflects the priorities of Trump and his top advisors, it cannot persist in a vacuum. It requires broader political and economic support. The political support for ICE has come from Congress, which has both massively increased ICE’s funding and repeatedly failed to rein in its excesses. Popular Information identified the core of ICE’s Congressional support by cataloging members of Congress who, looking at this record, have sought to increase ICE’s power by sponsoring or co-sponsoring pending legislation. This includes bills like the “10 Years of ICE Funding Act,” sponsored by Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and co-sponsored by Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH), which provides $105 billion in dedicated funding for ICE through 2036. And the “287(g) Cooperation Act of 2026,” sponsored by Congressman Ben Cline (R-VA) and co-sponsored by 16 Republican colleagues, which conditions federal public safety funding for state and local governments on the signing of a cooperation agreement with ICE within 180 days. Overall, 40 bills — including 27 House bills and 13 Senate bills — were included in the analysis. (A complete list of those bills, and their sponsors, is available here.)

In total, Popular Information has identified 110 House members and 37 Senators who have sponsored or co-sponsored at least one of the 40 bills expanding ICE’s power during the 119th Congress. The most prolific supporter of these bills was Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL), who sponsored or co-sponsored 12. Following close behind were Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Congressman Brandon Gill (R-TX), who each sponsored or co-sponsored nine. In the Senate, Eric Schmitt (R-MO) sponsored or co-sponsored seven such bills, with Rick Scott (R-FL) sponsoring or co-sponsoring five. Popular Information then analyzed corporate PAC donations reported to the FEC during the 2026 political cycle to the campaign committees and leadership PACs of these members. The top consumer brand financially backing this group of ICE supporters is SpaceX, Elon Musk’s newly public company that runs Starlink satellite internet, xAI’s Grok chatbot, and the X social media platform. SpaceX’s corporate PAC donated $589,000 to 63 members of Congress who sponsored or co-sponsored legislation expanding ICE’s power. Other consumer brands near the top of the list include Home Depot ($536,500 to 77 members), Walmart ($308,000 to 88 members), Toyota ($262,500 to 75 members), and Google ($257,500 to 48 members).