Congress Advances $70 Billion Immigration Enforcement Bill to Fund ICE and Border Patrol Expansion

Jun 8, 2026

The U.S. House is poised to vote on a $70 billion bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through 2029 after it passed the Senate 52-47. Pushed by Republicans using the budget reconciliation process to bypass Democratic opposition, the bill faces strong resistance. Democrats cite agency "brutality," while controversies over a Trump-proposed "anti-weaponization" fund and his demands to fire the Senate parliamentarian have marked the bill's path.

Immigration enforcement funding bill

▪The U.S. House is set to vote on a bill providing approximately $70 billion to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
▪Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the only Republican to vote against the Senate version of the bill.
▪The $70 billion would fund ICE operations, CBP staffing and technology, hiring of personnel, and expansion of detention capacity and surveillance systems.
▪The funding is a multi-year infusion intended to last through fiscal year 2029, the end of President Donald Trump's term.
▪The Senate passed the immigration funding package on a 52-47 vote in early June 2026.

Democratic opposition to ICE

▪House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated that House Democrats would be a "hard no" on the Republican budget reconciliation bill.
▪The ACLU characterized the bill as a "blank check" for agencies that have perpetuated "brutality and lawlessness" and urged a vote against it.
▪President Trump's Border Czar, Tom Homan, vowed to send more ICE agents into New York City than ever before in response to new state laws limiting cooperation.

Budget reconciliation process

▪Republicans used the budget reconciliation process to advance the funding bill, bypassing normal congressional procedures.
▪Senator Lindsey Graham said Republicans used reconciliation because Democrats objected to giving any money to Border Patrol and ICE during the appropriations process.
▪The budget reconciliation process allows certain spending bills to pass the Senate with a simple majority vote, rather than the 60 votes typically needed.

Trump anti-weaponization fund controversy

▪A proposal by President Donald Trump for a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund to compensate Americans wrongly targeted by the government nearly derailed the bill.
▪A Democratic amendment to block the "anti-weaponization" fund failed in the Senate, with only three Republican senators supporting it.

Senate parliamentarian firing demands

▪President Donald Trump demanded the firing of parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, calling her a "Radical Left Lunatic" in a social media post.
▪Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that a $1 billion Secret Service provision for President Trump's proposed White House ballroom could not be included in the bill.

Minneapolis federal agent killings

▪New York Governor Kathy Hochul cited the civilian deaths in Minneapolis as a "cautionary tale" against aggressive federal immigration enforcement.
▪Democratic opposition to funding ICE and CBP increased after two civilians were killed by federal law enforcement in Minneapolis during a January 2026 immigration surge.