Without funding from border bill, ICE contemplates releasing thousands of detainees

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are circulating a plan to potentially release up to16,000 detainees to help alleviate a large budget shortfall.

According to the report, the bill would have provided $6 billion in supplemental funding for ICE enforcement operations, a large boost for the agency ahead of spring's typically busy illegal crossing window.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, could try to cover the funding gap by repurposing money allotted to the Coast Guard or Transportation Security Administration, the report notes, though such moves would likely be controversial, and it is unknown if there would be enough money saved to make up for one of the largest budget shortfalls in recent years.