Immigration Equality Raises Alarms Over Trump Spending Bill’s Impact on LGBTQ Immigrants 

New York, NY (July 3, 2025) — Immigration Equality condemns the budget reconciliation bill passed by Congress today as the most extreme expansion of immigration enforcement in modern U.S. history. The bill will supercharge detention and deportation while imposing unprecedented financial and legal barriers on LGBTQ and HIV-positive people seeking protection. 

This bill will funnel $150 billion into immigration enforcement — including $45 billion to expand ICE detention, $59 billion for Border Patrol and a border wall, and $12 billion to hire 18,000 new ICE and Border Patrol agents. It also provides sweeping funds to deputize state and local law enforcement as federal immigration agents and empowers the military to participate in immigration raids and detentions. 

Meanwhile, Congress is paying for this by stripping nutrition, health care, and tax support from immigrant families and children. The bill eliminates access to the Child Tax Credit for over 2 million children whose parents lack a Social Security number, and blocks many refugees, asylees, and survivors of violence from programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act. 

Among the most dangerous provisions impacting LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants: 

  • A $100 asylum fee for an application that has historically been free, with an additional $100 annually for every year a case is pending 
  • A $550 fee for work permits, which asylum seekers rely on to support themselves while their cases are adjudicated, often over many years 
  • A massive expansion of ICE detention, which will disproportionately harm LGBTQ and HIV-positive people who face high rates of sexual violence, denial of medical care, and solitary confinement 
  • Broader deportation powers and fast-track removals, with limited due process and minimal oversight 

Bridget Crawford, Immigration Equality’s Director of Law and Policy, stated: 

“This bill is a roadmap to suffering. It turns asylum into a luxury, punishing LGBTQ and HIV-positive people fleeing persecution. LGBTQ people cannot wait out violence and discrimination in their home countries—and now they are being told safety in the U.S. comes with a price tag. Asylum is a legal right, not a privilege. Rushing this bill through Congress today, before July 4, in the name of so-called patriotism, is a betrayal of this country’s core values. Instead of offering protection, America will be locking the door to asylum seekers behind a paywall.” 

Immigration Equality will continue its work to defend the dignity, safety, and legal rights of LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants in the face of this harmful legislation. 

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For 30 years, Immigration Equality has promoted justice and equality for LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants, winning major victories in the courts and in Congress.  
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