By Vanguard Staff
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate has approved legislation providing an additional $70 billion in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol, advancing a major component of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda despite opposition from Democrats and civil liberties advocates.
The legislation passed the Senate in a 52-47 vote early Friday morning and now heads to the House of Representatives, where Republican leaders are expected to move quickly toward final approval. According to reporting by The New York Times, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, was the only Republican to vote against the measure, joining all Senate Democrats in opposition.
The vote follows months of disagreement in Congress over funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Republicans ultimately relied on the budget reconciliation process, which allows certain spending measures to pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes typically required to overcome a filibuster.
The American Civil Liberties Union sharply criticized the legislation, arguing that Congress is expanding immigration enforcement without addressing longstanding concerns about the conduct of federal immigration agencies.
“Once again, President Trump’s allies in Congress are bypassing normal Congressional procedures to strong-arm billions more in taxpayer dollars to fuel ICE and Border Patrol’s assault on our communities,” said Kate Voigt, senior policy counsel at the ACLU. “Instead of passing commonsense reforms to rein in ICE abuses or funding programs that would actually help American families, the Senate is choosing to add $70 billion to ICE and Border Patrol’s already bloated budget.”
The ACLU noted that Congress previously approved more than $170 billion in immigration enforcement funding through reconciliation legislation in July 2025 and cited a recent analysis indicating that approximately $150 billion of those funds remain unspent.
Voigt argued that the latest funding package is directly tied to the administration’s broader immigration agenda.
“Make no mistake: a vote in favor of more ICE and Border Patrol funding is a vote to prioritize President Trump’s cruel mass deportation agenda,” Voigt said. “We now call on our House Representatives to hold the line and say no to any more funding for these abusive agencies that have killed and attacked our neighbors, demanded people show their papers based on the color of their skin, and tear thousands of families apart. The safety of our communities and our freedom depend on it.”
Republican leaders framed the legislation as a necessary response to what they describe as inadequate border security and immigration enforcement resources.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune defended the measure during floor debate.
“We are here today only, only because Democrats refuse to appropriate a single dollar for our border and immigration law enforcement,” Thune said.
The bill became the focus of an extended procedural battle on the Senate floor as Democrats sought to force votes on a series of politically sensitive amendments. Those proposals addressed issues ranging from a proposed federal compensation fund associated with Trump allies to funding for a planned White House ballroom project and other administration initiatives. Most of the amendments ultimately failed.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer used the debate to criticize what he characterized as favoritism toward the president’s political interests.
“America has never seen a more clear-cut case of corruption than Donald Trump’s slush fund,” Schumer said while advocating for an amendment related to the proposed compensation fund.
The debate also exposed divisions within the Republican caucus. Several GOP senators supported amendments that would have restricted or prohibited the proposed compensation fund, though none of those efforts secured enough votes to pass. Republican senators including Murkowski, Susan Collins of Maine, Jon Husted of Ohio and Dan Sullivan of Alaska joined Democrats on some amendment votes challenging the administration’s position.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, who worked with Democrats on proposals related to the compensation fund, said he had delayed casting his vote while attempting to improve the amendment’s chances of success.
“I just wanted to optimize chances for success,” Cassidy told reporters.
Despite those disagreements, Republicans ultimately remained united behind the central objective of expanding immigration enforcement funding. The bill’s passage marks another significant legislative victory for Trump as immigration continues to be a defining issue heading into the election season.
Democrats argued throughout the debate that Congress should impose additional oversight and restrictions on immigration enforcement agencies before approving billions in new spending. Republicans countered that the legislation is necessary to strengthen border security and enforce immigration laws.
With Senate approval secured, attention now shifts to the House, where lawmakers will decide whether to send the measure to Trump’s desk and further expand federal immigration enforcement funding through the remainder of his term.
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