Washington recently delivered one of the most sweeping federal enforcement bills in recent memory — but much of the attention has been on the border, not the beat.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill,” signed into law by President Trump on July 4, dedicates vast resources to immigration enforcement and border security. It authorizes the hiring of 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, resumes physical border wall construction, expands detention facilities and bolsters Customs and Border Protection with improved inspection systems and vehicle fleets. It also enhances Department of Justice authority to investigate and prosecute non-citizen voting and fraudulent registration. These provisions reflect serious efforts to safeguard both national security and election integrity.
Not surprisingly, the bill has earned some support from the law enforcement community. According to a May 2025 White House statement, the National Fraternal Order of Police, the country’s largest law enforcement organization, applauded certain elements of the legislation. But while the “Big Beautiful Bill” expands federal enforcement capacity, it arrives alongside a proposed Department of Justice budget that reduces core support for the state and local agencies that solve crimes in our neighborhoods.
Both the Community Oriented Policing Services Office — which helps local agencies hire officers and advance community policing efforts — and the Office of Justice Programs will suffer significant funding cuts, defunding body-worn camera grants, school violence prevention efforts, juvenile justice programs and crisis response partnerships.
These changes couldn’t come at a worse time. For smaller or rural departments, federal grants aren’t supplemental — they’re essential. These funds help departments modernize equipment, hire and retain officers, and implement programs that reduce crime before it happens. Law enforcement agencies across the country are facing staffing shortages and many are operating well below optimal authorized strength. Simultaneously, clearance rates, the proportion of reported crimes that are solved, for violent crimes remain dangerously low. These aren’t abstract metrics; they represent real victims whose cases may never see justice, often due to lack of time, staff or modern investigative resources.
None of this is to downplay the importance of border security and ensuring legal voter eligibility. But fiscal responsibility means deciding where our dollars are best spent and being more strategic in our support for federal priorities so it doesn’t come at the expense of our local infrastructure. We can and should prioritize both. We spend billions each year on public safety and national defense, but what matters most is how wisely those dollars are allocated. Our investment must reflect the realities communities face every day — chaos and victimization happening on our streets.
Law enforcement operates as an ecosystem. ICE and Customs and Border Protection protect our borders, but it’s local officers who respond to 911 calls, investigate homicides and address public disorder. Most crime in the U.S. is handled by municipal and county agencies, not federal officers. And while horrific cases of violence involving undocumented immigrants rightly necessitates a direct response, the overwhelming majority of violent crime in America is committed by U.S. citizens. Focusing solely on external threats while neglecting our internal capacity to address day-to-day violence leaves communities exposed.
There’s still time to strike a better balance. Congress could build on the momentum of the “Big Beautiful Bill” by introducing legislation that ensures dedicated investments in state and local law enforcement, but it will require a more thoughtful process. Pushing large-scale policy through reconciliation obscures long-term costs and delays tougher fiscal decisions.
A smarter approach would commit to funding police staffing, improving clearance rates and enhancing access to forensic and technological resources upfront, instead of relying on future appropriations. Public safety doesn’t begin and end at the border. It plays out every day in our neighborhoods, on our streets and within our communities. And the officers tasked with delivering that safety need more than recognition — they need resources.
The “Big Beautiful Bill” is bold in scope and unapologetic in focus. But as we move forward, we must make sure the commitment to law enforcement is as broad as the threats it faces. That includes funding not just walls and agents, but also investigators and the local officers who remain our first line of defense.
If we want to truly back the blue, we must support every badge — federal, state and local alike.
Jillian Snider is a resident senior fellow for the Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties Program at the R Street Institute and a retired New York City police officer.