WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate passed legislation providing about $70 billion in funding for immigration enforcement agencies on Friday, advancing a key priority of the Trump administration.
The bill, which would fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection operations through the end of President Donald Trump's term in 2029, passed on a 52-47 party-line vote early Friday morning after weeks of delays, Senate records show.
It now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
The legislation allocates roughly $38 billion to ICE and more than $26 billion to CBP, with additional funds for the Department of Homeland Security, according to congressional summaries. It comes on top of substantial prior appropriations for border security and enforcement.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, described the measure as a straightforward funding bill. “It will do nothing more than fund Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the next three years,” Thune said during debate.
Democrats opposed the package, arguing it provides unchecked resources for enforcement without additional oversight or policy changes. Several amendments seeking limits on related spending or accountability measures were defeated.
The vote followed intense negotiations over an unrelated proposed $1.8 billion Justice Department settlement fund intended to compensate individuals who claim to have been targeted by government actions, which drew bipartisan criticism but was not restricted in the final bill.
Republicans have pushed the funding to support the administration’s immigration priorities, including expanded deportation operations. Details on specific new hires, detention capacity or technology upgrades remain subject to agency implementation.
The Trump administration has highlighted the need for sustained resources to enforce immigration laws. Critics, including immigrant advocacy groups, have raised concerns about the scale of enforcement and potential impacts on communities, though the bill itself contains no new policy mandates beyond funding.
House passage would send the measure to President Trump for signature. Timing for a House vote was not immediately clear as lawmakers had departed for the weekend.
The development comes amid ongoing debates in Congress over federal spending priorities and immigration enforcement levels. Both parties have acknowledged the need for border security funding, though they differ sharply on approach and accompanying measures.
