Senate passes $70B immigration enforcement bill without limits on Trump settlement fund

Senate Approves $70 Billion Measure Funding Immigration Enforcement Through 2028

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a $70 billion bill early Friday to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operations for three years, ending months of procedural delays. The legislation cleared the chamber by a 52-47 vote just before 5 a.m. after Republicans defeated multiple amendments seeking to restrict a separate $1.776 billion settlement fund.

The measure provides regular appropriations for the two agencies through the end of the current presidential term. Senate Republicans advanced the package using a procedural step that bypassed the 60-vote filibuster threshold, securing passage without Democratic support.

The settlement fund originated from a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump and family members against the Internal Revenue Service concerning the 2019 disclosure of their tax returns. The case concluded with a formal apology from the IRS and the establishment of an Anti-Weaponization Fund intended to address claims of government overreach. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated earlier in the week that the fund would not proceed, though the underlying settlement agreement remained active.

Republicans first defeated a Democratic amendment that would have permanently barred payments from the fund. Three Republican senators initially withheld support during an extended vote; Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana ultimately opposed the measure, while Sens. Jon Husted of Ohio and Dan Sullivan of Alaska supported it. A subsequent amendment offered by Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, which would have redirected the money to a Justice Department anti-fraud account, also failed. More than 10 Republicans joined most Democrats in backing that proposal.

Cassidy later offered his own amendment to direct any available funds toward compensation for law-enforcement officers injured during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol events. That measure was rejected as well. Additional Democratic proposals to prohibit payments to individuals convicted in connection with those events likewise did not pass.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said the extended debate over the settlement delayed final action on the funding bill. “This would have been done several hours ago if we weren’t having to deal with some of the issues around the fund,” Thune said. He had previously criticized the settlement but urged colleagues to keep the legislation limited to immigration enforcement appropriations to improve its prospects in the House.

Sen. Tillis argued that codifying limits on the fund would reduce political exposure for Republican candidates. “If Blanche says this is largely inoperative, why not use this moment to codify that?” Tillis said. Sen. Cassidy maintained that the fund remained available under the existing settlement terms.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the outcome, stating that reliance on executive-branch assurances left insufficient statutory controls.

The funding legislation had been stalled since early in the year after Democrats conditioned support on policy changes following the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. Trump agreed to separate the Homeland Security components, but negotiations produced no agreement on identification requirements or warrant procedures. The broader Homeland Security appropriations measure passed in April with bipartisan support, leaving ICE and Border Patrol without dedicated funding until Friday’s vote.

The bill now moves to the House, where Republican leaders have indicated they will seek passage without additional amendments that could alter the settlement fund provisions.