DOJ unveils $3 billion ‘BIDEN’ fund for states closing borders
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is offering $3 billion in funding to state and local governments to address issues related to illegal immigration.The funds aim to support efforts such as locating and apprehending illegal immigrants involved in crimes, court operations, gang activity data collection, and migrant detention and transportation. This initiative, called the Bridging Immigration-Related Deficits Experienced Nationwide Program (“BIDEN”), was announced on June 15 and is part of legislation signed in July 2025 that responds to the high levels of illegal border crossings during the Biden administration.
The funding can be used for various purposes, including building or improving detention facilities, recruiting law enforcement officers, and acquiring equipment like drones, body-worn cameras, and body armor. senate Republican Senator John Cornyn praised the program for reimbursing states like Texas that have spent considerable resources on border security, criticizing Biden’s border policies.
The DOJ emphasizes that these funds will also support activities related to combating gangs, cartels, and violent crime, as well as participating in Homeland Security Task Force efforts. Applications for funding are open, allowing jurisdictions to enhance their law enforcement capacity and infrastructure in response to ongoing immigration challenges.
The Department of Justice is offering a combined $3 billion for state and local governments to combat illegal immigration.
President Donald Trump’s officials posted the funding opportunity June 15 under the Bridging Immigration-Related Deficits Experienced Nationwide Program, or “BIDEN.” The program stems from provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025, to assist states that resisted former President Joe Biden‘s policies that brought historically high illegal border crossings.
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The money will support governments in “locating and apprehending” illegal immigrants who commit crimes while in the United States, related courtroom tasks, collecting data on gang activity, and temporarily detaining and transporting migrants, according to the DOJ.
“Awards from this program should be used to support significant participation in and support of Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) activities, and other DOJ efforts to combat gangs, cartels, and other violent crime,” the DOJ said.
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Applicants can request funding to build or revitalize detention facilities and recruit law enforcement officers. For law enforcement operations, the funding can cover gear such as “Unmanned Arial Systems (UAS), bodyworn cameras,” and “body armor,” the DOJ said.
“For four years, President Biden’s disastrous open-border policies wreaked havoc on our nation, and no state did more during that time to fill in the gaps to try to protect and defend the southern border than Texas,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who proposed the BIDEN program in Congress.
“I’m glad the Department of Justice has followed through on my reimbursement provision by opening the application process for funding to reimburse states like Texas for the billions of dollars spent to try and secure the border after Joe Biden’s dereliction of this federal responsibility,” he said. “Coupled with the funding delegated to the Department of Homeland Security, states who pitched in on border security efforts can now apply for reimbursement for costs incurred by their taxpayers during the Biden administration.”
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