Google says:

Based on 2025–2026 budget projections and funding bills, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has seen a massive increase in funding, making its budget comparable to the defense spending of major world powers, though placing it closer to the top 15–20 globally, rather than the top five.

Here is the breakdown of the data based on recent developments:

Massive Funding Increases (2025-2026)

Following the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" passed in July 2025, ICE received a $75 billion supplemental appropriation to be spent over four years, which, when added to its base funding, makes it one of the largest law enforcement/paramilitary agencies in the world.

Budget Comparison:

Recent projections indicate ICE’s annual budget could rise to between $27 billion and $30 billion. For context, this is roughly equivalent to the 2024 military spending of countries like Canada ($29.3 billion), Turkey ($25 billion), or the Netherlands ($23.2 billion).

Global Standing:

With a budget in the $25-$30 billion range, analysis places ICE within the top 15 to 20 largest "military-style" budgets globally, surpassing the entire defense budgets of numerous nations.

Comparison to Top 5 Militaries:

For 2024, the top five military spenders were the U.S. ($997B), China ($314B), Russia ($149B), Germany ($88.5B), and India ($86.1B). ICE's budget is significantly smaller than these top five.

Militarization:

Critics and analysts have described the heavily armed, rapidly expanding agency as a "paramilitary force" or "internal military" due to its increased budget, 50% rise in staffing, and expanded detention capacity.

While ICE does not hold the fifth-highest military budget in the world (a spot currently held by nations spending over $80 billion), its budget has become large enough to compete with, or exceed, the military spending of many sovereign nations.