US House passes $70 billion immigration enforcement bill, sending it to Trump's desk

A party-line vote ends a months-long stalemate

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 214 to 212 on Tuesday to pass a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for his signature. The vote fell entirely along party lines, with no Democrats supporting the measure and one House Republican voting against it. The Senate had passed the same bill early Friday morning in a 52-47 vote, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) as the only Republican to break ranks.

The bill funds U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the next three years, putting their budgets beyond the reach of partisan disagreements in Congress. Republicans used the budget reconciliation process to bypass a Democratic filibuster and pass the legislation without any opposition votes.

The Democrats will be unable to withdraw funding from ICE and CBP for the coming years.

Where the money goes

The package allocates approximately $38 billion for ICE, about $26 billion for CBP, and roughly $5 billion for unforeseen costs, according to a breakdown from France 24. An additional $5 billion is set aside for Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to distribute at his discretion. These funds come on top of nearly $140 billion already approved by the Republican-majority Congress last year for immigration enforcement.

Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), a senior House appropriator, argued that the agencies had already received a "huge lump sum of money" and that requesting reforms before providing additional funding was "more than fair."

The Minneapolis killings and the Democratic blockade

The funding fight began in January after immigration agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis during protests against ICE deportation raids. Democrats demanded stricter oversight and reforms for ICE and CBP in exchange for their votes on funding. The resulting impasse triggered a 76-day lapse in funding for the Department of Homeland Security, leading to lengthy airport-security lines and TSA workers going weeks without pay.

Democrats ultimately failed to secure the reforms they sought. Neither the restrictions on ICE and CBP nor the demands tied to the Minneapolis killings appear in the final bill.

At its core, this Republican reconciliation budget bill is a statement about priorities, and the priorities represented in this budget bill could not be more out of step with the needs and values of the American people.

The anti-weaponization fund and internal GOP friction

The legislation was also delayed by Republican infighting over a proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund." The fund was intended to compensate individuals who claim they were victimized by the federal government, which critics described as a slush fund for Trump allies convicted after the January 6 Capitol attack. The Department of Justice halted work on the fund after a federal judge in Virginia temporarily blocked it from making payouts, and the administration has since said the project will not go forward.

A separate $1 billion request from Trump for security at his White House ballroom was also removed from the bill before passage.

What happens next

With both chambers of Congress having approved the legislation, the bill now heads to the White House for Trump's signature, which is considered a formality. The president has pressed for the $70 billion in funding for months. Once signed, the budgets for ICE and CBP will be locked in through 2029, ensuring that Trump's mass deportation agenda is funded beyond the end of his presidency.

Tom Homan, an architect of the administration's deportation program, promised on Tuesday an acceleration of operations, particularly in New York, a city that votes overwhelmingly Democratic. The administration has faced pressure from hardline immigration supporters who note that authorities have not met the goal of one million annual deportations.