Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov shared a clip from “The Five” on X with the caption: “ICE claims to be going into only tough spots, but the ‘tough’ spots are court hearings and car washes. And now, ICE has a budget larger than the IDF. Despite all that, we are cutting food assistance, SNAP, and health care. It’s outrageous.”
On an episode of “The Five,” Tarlov responded to commentary about ICE targeting so-called “tough” locations.
“We heard from Paul saying we have to go into these tough spots like immigration courts and car washes, which is where they’re pulling people out of,” she said.
“You literally know everything about them, and you’re still showing up to take them out.”
Tarlov argued that appearing at immigration court implies the individuals are already in the legal process and not hiding, making their arrest in those spaces unnecessary.
ICE Budget Tops Israeli Defense Forces
Tarlov also criticized the scale of ICE’s funding.
“ICE now has a $37.5 billion budget, which is larger than the IDF’s budget, and we all know what Israel can do militarily,” she said.
According to recent reports, ICE is set to receive $75 billion through 2029. The agency plans to expand detention capacity to 100,000 beds and significantly increase the number of agents and daily arrests.
“I think we’ll have 100,000 beds by the end of the year. That’s a priority,” Tom Homan, White House border czar, said. ICE was previously funded for around 41,000 beds.
Critics say this expansion is unnecessary and harmful, especially given that most detainees have no serious criminal record.
Many immigrants in custody are held for civil violations, and access to legal aid has diminished as programs have been defunded. Policy changes have also made it more difficult to be released on bond.
Enforcement is also ramping up in previously off-limits places. ICE officers are now regularly conducting sweeps at courthouses, day laborer pickup sites, and workplaces.
This has alarmed advocates and some lawmakers, who say the tactics intimidate entire communities.
Programs Cut as ICE Grows
Tarlov condemned the prioritization of enforcement over public assistance.
“There is no reason that we should be choosing to fund them to that level while you’re cutting food benefits, SNAP benefits for people, healthcare benefits,” she said. “It’s completely ludicrous.”
Her remarks echo growing concerns that immigration enforcement is being boosted while programs like food assistance and healthcare face restrictions or cuts.
The discussion also sparked debate over whether SNAP benefits are truly being reduced or just restricted in what they can be used to purchase.
Public Opinion Turning
Tarlov noted that ICE’s public image is suffering. “It’s why the American public now has a negative view of ICE over 50%,” she said.
Polling data in recent years has shown declining trust in the agency, particularly over arrests in previously protected spaces like courthouses, farms, and workplaces.
In some cities, ICE facilities have become targets of protest, and confrontations have escalated.
As ICE expands its authority and budget, public scrutiny continues to grow over how and where it chooses to enforce immigration law, and at what cost to other priorities.