The U.S. Senate approved a bill in the early hours of Friday, delivering a win to President Donald Trump by allocating an extra $70 billion for immigration enforcement to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill, which passed with a 52-47 vote, did not receive any support from Democrats, with Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska opposing it.
Most of the funding in the immigration bill is designated for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agencies under DHS. These agencies are responsible for executing the Trump administration’s broad deportation initiative across the United States. Republicans criticized Democrats for attempting to defund ICE and CBP, highlighting that the agencies still had $100 billion in unused funds from a previous DHS spending package approved by Republicans last year.
The funding from the bill is intended to finance Trump’s contentious campaign to deport migrants over the next three years. The Senate debate on Thursday was marked by efforts from Democrats and some Republicans to introduce unrelated provisions. These proposals aimed to restrict federal funds, including private donations, for the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the White House grounds as desired by Trump.
Discussions also revolved around preventing federal dollars from being used for an anti-weaponization fund that could compensate Trump’s political allies and individuals granted clemency by the administration following the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Despite the debates, none of the proposed amendments were accepted, causing delays in the proceedings.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed during congressional testimony that the status of the fund was uncertain, while Trump expressed his support for it. A proposal put forth by Senator Bill Cassidy to redirect settlement payments to law enforcement officers injured during the January 6 attacks was rejected by Republicans, signaling internal rifts within the party.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s attempt to eliminate the fund, described as a “slush fund” for Trump’s allies, faced resistance, leading to a procedural impasse. The Senate also turned down an amendment by Republican Thom Tillis to ban the settlement fund but transfer the money to an anti-fraud fund at the Department of Justice.
The House is anticipated to review the bill next week, according to Republican leaders, as various recent actions by Trump continue to draw criticism, including seeking taxpayer funds for a White House ballroom and nominating Bill Pulte, a political ally, for the role of U.S. intelligence chief despite his lack of national security background.