ICE weapons spending surges 700% under Trump administration
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased spending on weaponry by more than 700 percent in 2025, according to an analysis of federal government contracting data by Popular Information. From President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 through October 18, ICE spent $71,515,762 on purchases categorized as “small arms, ordnance, and ordnance accessories manufacturing,” compared to $9,715,843 during the same period in 2024.
The spending surge represents the highest weapons expenditure in ICE’s history, dwarfing not only the Biden administration’s levels but also Trump’s first term, when average annual spending on small arms was approximately $8.4 million. On September 29 alone, ICE made a $9,098,590 purchase from Geissele Automatics, a company that manufactures semi-automatic and automatic rifles.
Missile warhead purchase likely a clerical error
Initial reports indicated that ICE had purchased “guided missile warheads and explosive components” for $61,218, generating widespread alarm about the agency’s militarization. However, a subsequent investigation by Wired revealed that the purchase likely resulted from a clerical error in the federal contracting database.
Quantico Tactical, the company identified as the supplier in federal records, does not manufacture explosive devices or missile warheads, according to founder and CEO David Hensley. The company’s offerings include firearms, switchblades, and weapon accessories. Hensley stated that the payment code appeared to be a mistake, noting that “Quantico Tactical does not sell, and I assume ICE/CBP does not buy, ‘Guided Missile Warheads’”.
Product and Service Codes are assigned by government contracting offices rather than private contractors. ICE has never previously made purchases under the code for “guided missile warheads and explosive components,” and the agency has not utilized any of the eight other codes specifically related to guided missiles, according to Federal Procurement Data System records examined by Wired.
Chemical weapons and tactical equipment
While the missile warhead purchase appears to be a coding error, ICE has made documented purchases of chemical weapons and tactical equipment. The agency made two additional payments to Quantico Tactical for “distraction devices” in September 2024 and August 2025, both utilizing the Product and Service Code designated for “chemical weapons and equipment,” which encompasses items like flame throwers and smoke generators.
According to ICE’s 2021 “Firearms and Use of Force” policy, the agency authorizes the use of chemical munitions such as smoke, pepper spray, and tear gas, though their deployment must be approved by the agency’s associate director. Quantico Tactical offers accessories, including gas-resistant goggles and holders for mace grenades and smoke bombs, though it does not sell tear gas or pepper spray directly through its website.
Violence and enforcement escalation
The weapons spending increase has coincided with a wave of violent incidents involving ICE officers during the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement operations. In September, Reverend David Black was shot in the face with a pepper ball by an ICE officer in Illinois. Another September incident captured on video showed an ICE officer dropping his gun during a violent arrest and then pointing it at bystanders.
A CBS News Chicago reporter alleged that an ICE officer shot a pepper ball at her vehicle in September, with the window open, allowing chemical agents “to engulf the inside of her truck,” causing her to vomit. In August, U.S. Marine Corps veteran Daryn Herzberg was hospitalized after being tackled from behind by ICE agents while protesting outside a federal facility in Portland. Video footage shows an agent grabbing Herzberg by the hair and slamming his face into the ground multiple times while saying, “You’re not talking shit anymore are you?”
In July, an aggressive ICE raid of a California cannabis farm left several workers injured and one dead. Jaime Alanís Garcia, who was not a target of the raid, climbed onto a greenhouse roof to escape the chaos and fell 30 feet to his death.
Civil liberties concerns and legal challenges
Ed Yohnka of ACLU Illinois described the situation as “a general escalation of violence and the use of excessive force by ICE officers”. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit on behalf of protesters, including Pastor Black, arguing that ICE’s tactics violate constitutional rights.
The lawsuit states that “all over the country, federal agents have shot, gassed, and detained individuals engaged in cherished and protected activities,” accusing ICE and other federal agencies of “the dangerous and indiscriminate use of near-lethal weapons such as tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper-balls, flash grenades, and other unwarranted and disproportionate tactics”.
Former ICE Acting Director John Sandweg told Politico that the current enforcement efforts are unprecedented, stating, “I don’t think we’ve ever seen a nationwide immigration enforcement effort like this”.
Broader context of federal enforcement
The revelation about ICE weapons spending comes amid the Trump administration’s deployment of armed, masked agents to major Democratic-leaning cities, including Chicago, Portland, and San Francisco. Federal agents have been photographed pointing weapons at protesters and bystanders, firing pepper balls at faith leaders and journalists, and conducting arrests that have included U.S. citizens.
The Popular Information analysis noted that the data “likely understates new spending on weaponry deployed in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, since many other federal agencies beyond ICE have been involved”. ICE has not responded to requests for comment regarding the weapons purchases or the clerical error involving the missile warhead code.