Senate Passes $70B Bill Funding ICE and Border Patrol Through 2029

The Senate approved $70 billion to operate Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through the end of President Trump’s term, ending months of funding uncertainty for the two agencies. The 52-47 vote early Friday relied entirely on Republican support and used budget reconciliation to bypass the usual 60-vote threshold.

The measure allocates roughly $38.6 billion to ICE, $22.6 billion to Border Patrol, and smaller sums to other Department of Homeland Security functions. It will now move to the House, where Republican leaders expect passage next week. One Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, opposed final passage.

Debate centered on an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund created to resolve a Trump lawsuit against the IRS over the 2019 leak of his tax returns. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress the administration would not proceed with the fund, yet several Republicans sought statutory language to bar payments permanently. Amendments offered by both parties to restrict or redirect the money all failed.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the administration’s public commitment settled the issue. Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer countered that taxpayers were left relying on an unenforceable promise. The final vote came after an 18-hour series of amendment votes that began Thursday afternoon.

Democrats had withheld support for the funding since January, when federal agents fatally shot two people during enforcement actions in Minnesota. They sought new limits on agent identification and warrant requirements. Republicans rejected those conditions and moved the bill on their own after the rest of the Homeland Security Department received funding in April.