Millions of taxpayers may face financial strain after the cancellation of a COVID-era benefit for illegal immigrants.

ICE has ended a COVID-era program that provided free video calls to hundreds of illegal immigrants, saving taxpayers more than $10 million annually.

In May 2020, the federal agency introduced a program that provided 520 minutes of free domestic and international phone and video calls per month to illegal immigrants in custody due to the COVID-19 pandemic and visitation restrictions. The program costs $10.2 million annually.

Although the public health emergency for the pandemic ended in May 2023, the program continued to operate, and in-person visitation resumed with the lifting of social distancing requirements.

The cost-saving measures have become a priority for ICE since it wound down the program in June of this year.

According to an ICE official, individuals in detention can still use facility Wi-Fi to make phone and video calls to their lawyers and families, and they can also make calls at their own expense using facility telephones and video tablets.

If Congress provides the necessary resources, the agency may continue to offer free calls in the future.

ICE expressed gratitude for the fiscal year 2024 appropriations from Congress, but the current funding is inadequate to maintain operational readiness on multiple fronts while offering free calls, which cost American taxpayers over $0.50 per minute, the agency stated.

The ongoing crisis at the southern border has sparked debates among lawmakers and officials regarding funding.

The Biden administration and Democrats have accused Republicans of not supporting legislation to address the border crisis, such as a bipartisan bill introduced this year that has not yet passed the Senate.

The House has passed a comprehensive border package supported by Republicans, which includes additional funding and strict limits on asylum and parole. However, it has not received Democratic support.

The Biden administration is urging a federal judge to lift the ban on new detainees at an Adelanto, California facility, despite some COVID-era restrictions remaining in place.

Since a September 2020 court order halted its operation in response to a lawsuit from immigrant activists, the facility in Adelanto, California, has only housed a small number of inmates.