The David Frum Show How ICE Became Trump’s Secret Army
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Aug 20, 2025 
Caitlin Dickerson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The Atlantic, dives deep into the troubling transformation of U.S. immigration policy under Trump. She uncovers how the massive budget surge for ICE, increasing from $8 billion to $28 billion, has fueled mass detentions and empowered private-prison companies. Dickerson critiques how fear-based governance has reshaped American society, raising concerns about the integrity of law enforcement and the ethics of current immigration practices. Her insights shine a light on urgent issues within immigration enforcement.
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Crackdown Risks Eroding Legitimacy
- David Frum warns that Trump's crackdown turns society toward fear, eroding legitimacy of law and enforcement.
- He calls the methods self‑devouring because they damage institutions needed for sustainable restriction.
ICE's Budget Explosion
- ICE's budget is exploding from about $8B to $28B, creating unprecedented enforcement capacity.
- That funding makes ICE the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency and reshapes national enforcement priorities.
A Massive Enforcement Infrastructure
- $175B for immigration enforcement exceeds the annual military budgets of nearly every country.
- The scale builds an enforcement infrastructure unlike anything in U.S. history.
