The House Appropriations Committee recently advanced legislation that would provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with a total discretionary allocation of $64.9 billion. Of that amount, $2.9 billion would be for defense activities.
The Fiscal Year 2027 Homeland Security Appropriations Act also includes $28.39 billion as an allocation adjustment for major disaster response and recovery activities and $6.2 billion in discretionary appropriations that are offset by fee collections.
Other allocations in the bill include $97 million for unmanned systems to improve maritime domain awareness, $135 million to increase the Coast Guard’s Indo-Pacific presence, $226 million to improve baggage screening equipment at airports, $439 million to retain 22,000 Border Patrol agents, and $3.8 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody operations. An additional $100 million was reallocated from previous appropriations to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Funding will be used to detect and counter the spread of drugs; support security preparation and planning for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics and other events; bolster disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts; strengthen investigations of exploitation, human trafficking and forced labor; provide Coast Guard service members with a pay raise; and enhance the operational execution of Public Law 119-21, which provides long-term border security and immigration investments.
The bill prohibits funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts and codifies the Trump Administration’s federal bureaucracy reductions.
“Securing the homeland and protecting the American people is among the federal government’s most fundamental responsibilities,” U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), committee chairman, said. “The just-reported FY27 Homeland Security bill provides the personnel, technology, and resources necessary to secure our borders, enforce our laws, combat illicit drug trafficking, strengthen cybersecurity defenses, and bolster disaster preparedness and recovery efforts. This legislation takes a comprehensive approach to the threats facing our nation. It builds on the Trump Administration’s success in restoring operational control of the border, supports the frontline personnel who carry out critical homeland security missions every day, strengthens Coast Guard capabilities, and enhances our ability to confront challenges whether they emerge at our borders, in cyberspace, on our shores, or in communities across the country. From transnational criminal organizations and cyberattacks to natural disasters and emerging security threats, this bill ensures America is prepared.”
The committee also adopted five amendments by voice vote. The adopted amendments make technical, bipartisan changes to the bill and report; block funding for government efforts that monitor or influence lawful speech; prohibits funding provided in the amendment for third-country removals without court approval; requires findings of an ongoing investigation to be submitted to the committee; and allows for the recuperation of certain charges at an ICE facility.