The United States Senate on Friday approved a $70 billion package to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, handing the Republican leader a major legislative victory after months of political wrangling.
The measure, which will provide funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol through the remainder of Trump’s presidency, now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Republican leaders are expected to fast-track the bill next week in a bid to place it on the president’s desk for assent.
The legislation comes months after a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, triggered by disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over immigration enforcement policies.
Democrats had demanded restrictions on certain enforcement tactics, including immigration raids in sensitive locations and the use of face coverings by officers. Republicans rejected those proposals and opted to pursue funding through the budget reconciliation process, allowing them to bypass Democratic opposition.
The bill’s passage followed an hours-long voting session known as a “vote-a-rama,” during which senators considered dozens of amendments and debated several controversial issues linked to Trump’s agenda.
Among the most contentious was a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponisation” fund designed to compensate individuals who claimed they had been unfairly targeted by the government.
The proposal faced opposition from both Democrats and some Republicans, who argued it could become a vehicle for rewarding Trump allies, including individuals convicted over the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Although Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recently informed lawmakers that the administration would not proceed with the fund, Trump continued to defend the proposal, describing it as a positive initiative and declining to state categorically whether it had been abandoned.
The debate exposed divisions within Republican ranks, with some lawmakers seeking legislative guarantees that the fund would never be revived.
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, one of the Republicans critical of the proposal, said there was no politically acceptable way to defend the fund and argued that it should be scrapped entirely.
The Senate also considered amendments relating to funding for Trump’s proposed White House ballroom project and other administration priorities, highlighting growing concerns among some Republicans ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Democrats, meanwhile, attempted to redirect some of the immigration funding towards housing and affordability programmes, arguing that the administration was prioritising deportation efforts over economic challenges facing Americans.
Despite the disagreements, Republicans ultimately secured enough support to pass the bill.
The legislation marks one of Trump’s most significant policy victories since returning to office and reinforces immigration enforcement as a central pillar of his administration.
However, the lengthy debate underscored a continuing challenge for Republican leaders: maintaining party unity while defending some of the president’s more controversial proposals.
