The U.S. Senate has approved a $70 billion funding package for immigration enforcement, sending the measure to the House of Representatives for a critical vote in the coming days.
The bill, passed in the early hours of Friday after an extended overnight session, allocates roughly $70 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Border Patrol, and related immigration enforcement operations for the remainder of President Donald Trump's current term.
The vote was 52-47, with most Republicans backing the measure and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski emerging as the only Republican to oppose it, according to multiple outlets, according to the BBC.
House leaders have indicated they could take up the proposal as soon as next week, positioning the legislation for final congressional approval before being sent to President Trump.
Republicans framed the package as essential to maintaining strict border and interior enforcement, emphasizing new money for hiring additional agents, expanding detention capacity, and sustaining deportation operations over a three-year period.
Reports indicate that the bill is designed to keep ICE and Border Patrol funded through the end of Trump's presidency, effectively locking in enforcement resources regardless of broader fights over the Department of Homeland Security budget.
Some provisions also steer funds to investigations of human trafficking and child exploitation cases, reflecting bipartisan concern over these offenses even as broader disagreements persisted.
Read more: First ICE Agent Arrested Since Trump's Immigration Surge Is Charged in Shooting of Venezuelan Man
The path to passage was contentious, marked by weeks of delay over an unrelated settlement or "anti-weaponization" fund championed by the Trump administration, NPR reported.
Several Republican senators raised concerns that the fund, valued at around $1.7 to $1.8 billion, could be used to compensate political allies who claimed they were unfairly targeted by federal agencies, prompting efforts to restrict or eliminate it.
In the end, GOP leaders kept the core immigration funding intact and defeated amendments that would have imposed strict limits on the fund, allowing the overall package to advance.
Democrats largely opposed the bill, arguing it prioritizes enforcement over reforms to the immigration system and fails to address humanitarian conditions at the border.
They warned that locking in long-term enforcement funding without broader legislative changes could reduce leverage for future negotiations on legal immigration pathways, asylum processing, and protections for certain undocumented populations.
For now, the House must decide whether to adopt the Senate measure as written or seek changes, a choice that will determine how quickly the funding reaches Trump's desk, as per Politico.
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