Podcast Summary: The Truth with Lisa Boothe: ICE, CBP Funding Fight & Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan

Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Host: Lisa Boothe (guest-hosting)
Guests: R.J. Hauman (President, National Immigration Center for Enforcement), Mike Howell (Board Member, National Immigration Center for Enforcement; Head of Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project)
Date: February 17, 2026
Episode Focus: The border crisis and the political/funding battle over DHS, with deep dives into Republican and Democratic tactics, Trump’s mass deportation plans, and how illegal immigration interacts with elections and redistricting.

Episode Overview

This episode zeroes in on the ongoing border crisis, specifically the political maneuvering around DHS funding and the implications for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and CBP (Customs and Border Protection). Lisa Boothe is joined by immigration enforcement experts R.J. Hauman and Mike Howell to discuss recent Republican and Democratic strategies, the effectiveness and risks of recent legislative efforts like the SAVE Act, and the prospects and challenges for Trump’s renewed mass deportation promises in his second term.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The DHS Funding Fight: Why Standalone Funding?

[02:21–06:36]

• Context: Republicans pushed for a standalone bill to fund DHS (specifically ICE and CBP), rather than joining it with a larger omnibus.
• RJ Hauman’s Take:
  • Historically, DHS funding has run on "continuing resolution autopilot," benefiting Democrats.
  • The new bill (signed by Trump in July) allocates ~$170 billion to ICE and CBP for enhanced enforcement and deportation.
  • "Democrats want to isolate CBP and ICE away from the other functions of DHS... set a dangerous precedent down the line." [05:52]
  • Risk: If only ICE/CBP require special (and politically contentious) funding, Democrats can stall funding or force concessions in future years, undermining enforcement.

2. Democratic and Republican Strategies—A ‘Kayfabe’ Fight

[06:46–08:56]

• Mike Howell’s Insight:
  • Both Democrats and some Republicans are uncomfortable with the full scope of ICE’s mission.
  • Dems want to "defund the police, abolish ICE" (07:30), while some Republicans (pressured by moderates and the left) want to limit ICE to only violent criminals.
  • The public sees a partisan fight, but behind the scenes, many Republicans are willing to make concessions—calling it "pro wrestling. Kayfabe." [08:50]
  • Quote: "A lot of Republicans are joining Democrats to hurt ICE." [08:54]

3. Operational Dangers: Funding Precedents and Enforcement Realities

[08:56–10:14]

• Potential Consequences:
  • Using past supplemental funds as an excuse to lower future annual funding is dangerous.
  • If new spending baselines drop, future ICE/CBP operations will be hamstrung: “When Trump leaves office... you can't pay all the ICE agents you hired, you got to sell the airplanes... Democrats will turn all your warehouse detention facilities into greased up turnstiles.” [09:56]

4. Media Pressure & Violence Against ICE Agents

[10:14–13:01]

• Host & Guests Discuss:
  • Media/left amplifying "hit pieces" and reports of force by ICE, fostering public relations battles.
  • Attacks on ICE agents have increased dramatically, per both guests.
  • Howell: “We haven’t seen this type of vigilante, mob‐style justice... since the Civil War.” [12:32]

5. Political Challenges: Will Congress Block Trump’s Deportation Plans?

[13:01–16:11]

• What if Republicans Lose the House/Senate in the Midterms?
  • Interior enforcement (removal of people already in the U.S.) is the real challenge, due to internal GOP resistance and business interests preferring cheap labor.
  • “Some of the most hardliners on immigration... are second and third generation Mexicans.” [14:32]
  • Warns: Republicans risk being blamed for being “too hardline” on immigration—but pivoting to amnesty is “not the answer.”

6. Voter Integrity, the SAVE Act, and Non-Citizen Voting Concerns

[18:48–23:04]

• Lisa's Question: With many states allowing non-citizens to get drivers' licenses, does this make it easy for illegal immigrants to vote?
• Howell’s Response:
  • Heritage Foundation Oversight Project interviewed non-citizens who admitted to being registered to vote.
  • The SAVE Act is important but is a “penicillin shot” that doesn’t address the root problem—illegal presence.
  • “If you really want to solve the problem of illegals potentially being able to vote, get the illegals out of the country in the first place.” [21:36]
  • Trump needs to hit high deportation numbers to fulfill his promise and energize the base.

7. The Optics and Strategy of Mass Deportations

[23:07–26:57]

• Spectacle vs. Quiet Enforcement:
  • “When you’re kind of going for a spectacle, doing these standoffs, you’re kind of taking away your ability to quietly do enforcement ops and raids.” [23:45, Hauman]
  • Quiet negotiations with “sanctuary counties” are more effective than high-profile raids for compliance and reducing opposition.
  • With new resources and agents, enforcement can be ramped up without nightly TV coverage: “...You don’t need to put on the show. The numbers speak for themselves.” [24:45]

8. Redistricting, the Census, and Political Power

[26:57–29:16]

• Lisa’s Framing: Dem-leaning states risk losing seats due to out-migration, and there’s evidence Dem politicians want illegal migrants for reapportionment purposes.
• Howell’s Take:
  • The Constitution currently counts total population for congressional representation, not just citizens. While some fear this shifts seats, the bigger issues are present-day: strains on local institutions, new political constituencies, and social unrest—not just census math.
  • “Democrats need illegal immigration for a lot of reasons. Census redistricting certainly is one. But it’s not on their top 10 list.” [29:04]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Funding Risks:

  • “Democrats want again to isolate CBP and ICE away from the other functions of DHS... If Democrats get to a point where they're able to fund every agency under the DHS umbrella except ICE and cbp, they'll just run the darn clock out…”
    — R.J. Hauman [05:42]

• On Republican Complicity and Political Theater:

  • “It presents to the public as a Democrat versus Republican kind of fight. But it's really pro wrestling. Kayfabe. A lot of Republicans are joining Democrats to hurt ice.”
    — Mike Howell [08:50]

• On ICE Agents Under Attack:

  • “We haven’t seen this type of vigilante, mob style justice and secessionist tactics at this scale really since the Civil War... nothing that rivals it.”
    — Mike Howell [12:32]

• On Immigration Politics 2026:

  • “Some of the most hardline people are second and third generation Mexicans... They’re way more hardline than a lot of people in Washington in our party.”
    — R.J. Hauman [14:32]

• On Root of Voter Integrity Issues:

  • “If you really want to solve the problem of illegals potentially being able to vote, get the illegals out of the country in the first place.”
    — Mike Howell [21:36]

• On Enforcement Optics:

  • “You don’t need to put on the show. The numbers speak for themselves. Whether the regular deportations or self deportations, Americans will feel the effect. They don’t need to watch it on Fox News every night.”
    — R.J. Hauman [24:45]

• On Why Democrats Want More Migrants:

  • “Democrats need illegal immigration for a lot of reasons. Census redistricting is one. But it's not on their top 10 list.”
    — Mike Howell [29:04]

Suggested Listen (Timestamps for Important Segments)

• Main Funding Fight & Danger for Future Policy:

  • [02:21–06:36; 06:46–10:14]

• Violence/Media Issues Around ICE:

  • [10:14–13:01]

• Trump’s Deportation Promise, Internal GOP Tensions:

  • [13:01–16:11; 18:48–23:04]

• SAVE Act & Voting Integrity:

  • [20:02–23:04]

• Enforcement Tactics: Spectacle vs. Quiet Success:

  • [23:07–26:57]

• Redistricting/Motives for Illegal Immigration:

  • [26:57–29:16]

Tone & Style

The discussion is pointed, direct, and heavily critical of Democratic strategy and “establishment” Republicans, with a focus on underlying PR battles, political theatre, and the stakes of mass deportation. The mood is urgent and adversarial, but laced with insider references, dark humor, and a strong populist undercurrent.

Useful For:
Anyone seeking a detailed understanding of the Republican and conservative activist perspective on the border crisis, the intricacies of Capitol Hill funding battles, Trump’s immigration agenda, and why the census and voting laws figure so heavily in partisan debates over immigration.