US Senate Passes $70 Billion Budget Package for ICE and CBP

The US Senate has passed legislation pushed by President Donald Trump to allocate an additional $70 billion for his controversial immigration enforcement campaign. The bill was approved early Friday morning local time after an extended session featuring a series of amendments in a process known as 'vote-a-rama'.

This supplemental budget will be directed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) over the remainder of Mr. Trump's term, adding to the substantial funding these agencies already received from the tax bill passed last year.

The Senate passage, where Republicans hold 53 of 100 seats, followed months of delays due to strong opposition from Democrats. Democratic senators steadfastly refused to approve additional funding for agencies behind Mr. Trump's mass deportation campaign.

Tensions peaked as Democrats used the 'vote-a-rama' procedure to introduce numerous amendments aimed at applying political pressure on Republican senators. One notable amendment sought to block the controversial 'anti-weaponization' fund that the US Justice Department had announced and later withdrew.

Next Steps

The bill now moves to the House, where Republicans also hold a slim majority (217 seats versus 212 for Democrats). According to Republican leadership, the House is expected to consider the bill next week and is likely to pass it.

Despite growing discontent among some party members over Mr. Trump's handling of the Iran conflict, funding for a White House ballroom, and the Justice Department's 'anti-weaponization' fund, immigration enforcement spending continues to receive broad Republican support.

Reason for Delay

Democrats have united in opposing additional funding for immigration enforcement agencies since January, following the deaths of two US citizens involving ICE and CBP officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

A Trump-backed tax bill passed in 2025 allocated $170 billion for federal agencies, including ICE and CBP, to support the president's mass deportation campaign, which polls show is increasingly unpopular.

The impasse led to a 76-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which ended in late April when Congress passed a partial funding bill.

Democrats continued to refuse additional funding for ICE and CBP, forcing Senate Republicans to use a complex legislative procedure to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to counter a filibuster. This procedure, known as 'budget reconciliation', paved the way for the hours-long 'vote-a-rama'.

Failed 'Anti-Weaponization' Fund

Democrats used Thursday's session to pressure Mr. Trump over the 'anti-weaponization' fund. The Justice Department announced the plan in May, claiming it was financed by a settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), with a symbolic amount of $1.776 billion, referencing 1776, the year the US Declaration of Independence was signed.

Mr. Trump stated that individuals claiming to be victims of politically motivated federal prosecutions could apply for compensation from the fund, including his supporters convicted for storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Democrats labeled this a 'slush fund' for Trump allies. Some Republicans also opposed the plan, which the Justice Department said it had abandoned.

Three Republican senators joined Democrats in backing an amendment to block the fund, while six other Republicans supported the amendment proposed by Senator Thom Tillis (Republican) to block the plan and redirect the money. Both proposals failed. Three other amendments related to Mr. Trump's White House ballroom also did not pass.