...
By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Republican-controlled Senate passed a roughly $70 billion immigration enforcement bill early Friday, advancing a measure that funds Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol for the next three years.
The 52–47 vote, which concluded just before 5 a.m., followed hours of debate and a marathon amendment process known as a "vote-a-rama," during which lawmakers from both parties attempted unsuccessfully to add provisions restricting a $1.776 billion settlement slush fund to pay out to President Donald Trump's allies.
The legislation provides tens of billions of dollars in new funding aimed primarily at expanding federal immigration enforcement operations. Lawmakers structured the bill to support hiring, equipment, and operational costs across multiple agencies tasked with carrying out Trump's flagship mass deportation policy.
Read More on News
...
What Is In The Bill
The bill allocates about $72 billion overall, with most of the funding directed toward enforcement. The largest share, $38.2 billion, is designated for ICE to expand and sustain its operations, including hiring personnel, supporting detention and removal efforts, upgrading technology and facilities, and increasing cooperation agreements with local law enforcement.
A portion of those funds is set aside for investigative work for Homeland Security Investigations, a subdivision of ICE.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which oversees U.S. Border Patrol, will receive about $26 billion to hire and equip personnel, enhance surveillance and inspection systems, and carry out border screenings.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is allocated roughly $5 billion for broader operational and enforcement-related purposes, while the Department of Justice (DOJ) will receive about $1.5 billion to support immigration-related legal enforcement and administration.
...
Funding Until Trump Leaves Office
The measure is intended to fund enforcement agencies through the remainder of Trump’s term, reducing the need for future appropriations fights over immigration spending. The House is not expected to vote on the reconciliation bill this week.
The dispute over DHS funding began after Democrats wanted DHS to impose tougher guards rails on federal immigration agents following the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis.
Although the bill focuses on immigration funding, debate was dominated by disputes over a separate $1.7 billion settlement fund.
What Is The Slush Fund?
The Department of Justice said last month the money was for those who felt they had been unfairly prosecuted by the Biden administration, sparking bipartisan backlash.
Democrats and some Republicans, such as outgoing Republican senator Bill Cassidy, sought to block or limit the fund, arguing it could be used to compensate Trump allies who claim political persecution.
The fund stems from a Justice Department settlement with Donald Trump resolving his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns. In exchange for dropping the case, the DOJ created a program allowing individuals who say they were targeted by government “weaponization” to seek compensation or formal apologies through a commission.
The department described it as a structured process to review such claims, an argument echoed by Trump and his allies, who say conservatives were unfairly targeted during the Biden administration. A federal judge has since temporarily blocked the fund, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanace said it will not move forward.
...
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement following the passage of the bill, "Republicans passed a rotten bill that makes their priorities painfully clear: more money for Donald Trump, more power for Donald Trump, and nothing to lower costs for working families."
"The Republican agenda is now written in black and white: a slush fund for Trump, tax dodges for Trump, a ballroom for Trump, and a private militia for Trump. For hard-working Americans? Nothing," Schumer said.
“It’s a simple bill,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Politico. “It will do nothing more than fund Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for three years … because Democrats have refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security or immigration law enforcement.”
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines