The Department of Justice has launched a massive new $3 billion grant initiative designed to help communities recover from the financial strain they say resulted from the Biden administration’s immigration policies, with one key requirement: participating jurisdictions must cooperate fully with federal immigration enforcement.

The program, officially titled the Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) initiative, is among the largest grant efforts ever undertaken by the Justice Department. According to The Washington Post, the funding is intended to help local governments hire additional police officers, modernize technology, and construct temporary detention facilities for illegal migrants.

To qualify, however, municipalities must commit to working alongside federal immigration officials. Specifically, applicants are required to “fully participate” in the ICE 287(g) program, which authorizes state and local law enforcement agencies to partner with ICE and other federal immigration authorities in carrying out immigration enforcement.

“This Department of Justice is committed to ensuring Biden-era border disasters never happen again,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “We are proud to once again champion law and order.”

According to the Justice Department, the grants are intended to support efforts involving “locating and apprehending aliens who have committed a crime under federal, state, or local law, in addition to being unlawfully present in the United States.”

The department also said some grant recipients could be required to reimburse the federal government for “the costs associated with federal law enforcement intervention” if federal authorities are forced to expend resources “to reduce crime or public disorder” stemming from immigration enforcement operations.

Aside from the requirement that recipients participate in the 287(g) partnership, the DOJ said there are no additional restrictions, allowing local governments broad discretion over how they use the grant money.

Justice Department officials said interest in the program has already been strong, with 181 municipalities submitting applications.

The BIDEN grant initiative was created through President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Budget Bill,” which provides $3 billion in funding for the program through September 2028.

Patrick Royal, a spokesman for the National Sheriffs’ Association, praised the initiative, saying the grants are an obvious opportunity for local governments. “I can’t see why people wouldn’t take advantage of this opportunity to get more funding.”

{Matzav.com}