The House of Representatives narrowly passed a $70 billion funding bill on Tuesday to finance Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through the remainder of President Trump's term, ending a 115-day standoff over immigration policy. The measure, which passed by a vote of 214 to 212, provides a massive infusion of cash to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies, giving ICE more than three times its annual budget and Border Patrol a significant boost.
The funding, which covers three fiscal years through 2029, comes with few stipulations on how the money should be spent, bypassing the normal appropriations process through a special budget reconciliation procedure. Republicans used this tactic after Democrats refused to back more funding following the fatal shooting of two protesters by federal officers in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Democrats had sought reforms including requiring judicial warrants for home entries and prohibiting officers from wearing masks, but those demands were not included in the final package. The bill allocates $38 billion for ICE, including $31 billion for immigration enforcement and $7 billion for Homeland Security Investigations, and $22 billion for Border Patrol, with $13 billion specifically for enforcement.
An additional $5 billion is designated for border security technology and screening, including artificial intelligence, and $350 million for enforcement in localities that do not cooperate directly with ICE. The legislation also lacks funding for internal oversight offices that investigate detention center conditions, though a separate April measure provided $20 million for the DHS inspector general to oversee detention facilities.
Critics, including Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the only Republican to vote against the measure in the Senate, warned that the multi-year funding weakens Congress's ability to provide oversight and apply reasonable checks on immigration policy. Immigration advocates, such as Heidi Altman of the National Immigration Law Coalition, expressed concern that the lack of guardrails could lead to fewer accountability mechanisms and allow the agency to operate with minimal oversight.
The vote marks a significant victory for President Trump's immigration agenda, as the agencies will be insulated from annual funding battles for three years. The debate over immigration enforcement has largely subsided in recent weeks, with new DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin dialing back some aggressive enforcement operations and other issues, such as the war in Iran, dominating headlines.
Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota reflected on the aftermath of the Minneapolis shootings, noting that while public attention has shifted, the community continues to grapple with the fallout, including children who did not return to school and businesses that never reopened. The funding bill now heads to President Trump's desk for signature.