WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate has passed the Secure America Act, legislation allocating nearly $70 billion in funding for immigration enforcement agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), following weeks of partisan debate over border security and federal immigration policy.
The measure cleared the Senate on June 5 in a 52-47 vote, largely along party lines, according to Senate records and multiple news reports. The bill provides long-term funding for ICE and CBP through fiscal year 2029 and was advanced through the budget reconciliation process, allowing Republicans to bypass a Democratic filibuster.
According to legislative summaries and congressional statements, the package directs approximately $38 billion to ICE and about $26 billion to CBP, with additional funding designated for Department of Homeland Security operations and related immigration enforcement activities. Supporters said the legislation would strengthen border security, expand enforcement capacity and provide budget certainty for agencies responsible for immigration control.
“For 76 days, Democrats kept the Department of Homeland Security in limbo,” Senator Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said after the vote. “Republicans refuse to go backward or sacrifice the safety of our law enforcement personnel,” he added in a statement released by his office.
Republican lawmakers argued that the funding package was necessary to maintain border operations and support President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said the legislation would ensure that DHS funding is available through 2029 and would support ICE and CBP operations.
Democrats opposed the measure, arguing that it provided substantial new resources to enforcement agencies without sufficient oversight or policy reforms. Several Democratic senators sought amendments addressing accountability measures and other immigration-related provisions, but those efforts did not succeed. The legislation also became entangled in debate over a separate Justice Department compensation fund that drew criticism from lawmakers in both parties.
The Senate vote followed months of disagreement over immigration funding that contributed to a prolonged standoff over Department of Homeland Security appropriations. Congressional negotiators removed or revised several provisions from earlier drafts after procedural reviews and objections from lawmakers.
The legislation subsequently passed the House of Representatives by a narrow margin and was sent to President Trump for consideration. According to congressional reports, the measure received little Democratic support in either chamber.
As of June 17, the Secure America Act had become law following presidential approval, providing funding for ICE and CBP through the remainder of the current presidential term, according to congressional and administration statements.
