$300M a Year: U.S. to Fund Immigration Crackdown through Gambling

The U.S. government may soon be allowed to tap into gambling tax revenue to help detain and deport undocumented immigrants. As reported by Next.io, Congressman Michael Rulli has introduced a bill aimed at redirecting a portion of federal gambling taxes toward immigration enforcement.

The proposed legislation, officially titled Giving Alien Migrants Back Through Lawful Excise Redistribution (GAMBLER), outlines a plan to use funds collected through the federal 0.25% tax on legal wagers to bolster the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These funds currently flow into the U.S. Treasury’s General Fund.

Under Rulli’s plan, the redirected gambling revenue would support ICE’s efforts to manage illegal immigration and its related costs — all, according to the congressman, “without asking for one more penny from American families.”

If passed, the bill could result in an estimated $300 million annually being funneled from legal gambling activity into immigration enforcement.

Rulli tied the urgency of his proposal to recent unrest in cities like Los Angeles: “We’ve all witnessed the blatant disregard for law and order in Los Angeles — and frankly, enough is enough. Working-class Americans are paying the price while blue states and sanctuary cities harbor millions of illegal aliens who wave foreign flags in our streets, vandalize property and drain resources meant for our own citizens.”

Still, despite Rulli’s push, the bill faces significant hurdles. It will require at least 60 votes to pass in the Senate, where Republicans currently hold only 53 seats. Additionally, critics argue the bill politicizes gambling tax revenue and uses gaming funds to push a partisan agenda.

Meanwhile, we previously reported that U.S. military funds have recently been used to subsidize gambling participation.