The House of Representatives approved a sweeping $70 billion funding package for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol on Tuesday, June 9, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for his signature. The Secure America Act passed along party lines with a vote of 214-212, marking a significant victory for Republicans as the midterm elections approach.
The Senate had already passed the measure last week, with all Democrats and only one Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, opposing it.
The bill provides three years of funding for the two agencies, which were excluded from a broader Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill passed in late April following a record-long partial government shutdown. The legislation has been a major priority for Republicans, especially after federal agents fatally shot two Minnesotans earlier this year, sparking intense debate over immigration enforcement.
Democrats have refused to support the funding without significant reforms, citing the shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents. Representative Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky criticized the bill on the House floor, stating, "Republicans gave ICE $170 billion last July, and in less than one year, they want to give them $70 billion more.
$240 billion in honest-to-God storm troopers."
To bypass Democratic opposition, Republicans used a budgetary process called reconciliation, which allowed them to avoid the Senate's 60-vote threshold. GOP leaders defended the bill, with Representative Jodey Arrington of Texas denouncing what he called "denigrating terms" used against law enforcement officers.
The passage of the Secure America Act underscores the deep political divide over immigration enforcement ahead of the November elections and may be one of the last major pieces of legislation that congressional Republicans can push through with their slim House majority.