The U.S. Senate passed a $70 billion package to fund immigration enforcement early June 5, 2026. Majority Leader John Thune, seen on March 3, 2026, said GOP leaders were forced to craft the package after Democrats “walked away” from negotiations that could have imposed restrictions on federal immigration officials. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate approved a nearly $70 billion package early Friday that brings Republicans a step closer to funding immigration and deportation activities for the next three years without negotiating novel limits on federal agents with Democrats.
The 52-47 Most party-line votes send the measure to the House, where Republican lawmakers could send it to President Donald Trump for his signature as early as next week.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was the only Republican to vote no. Colorado Democratic Senator Michael Bennet, who attended a debate in his bid to become his state’s next governor.
Murkowski said in a statement she opposed the bill because it bypasses the annual state funding process that forces the two political parties to debate issues and find compromises.
“By choosing to allocate funds for three fiscal years instead of one year, this action weakens the normal budgeting process and sets another precedent for avoiding it when we disagree,” she said. “This will limit Congress’s ability to provide adequate oversight of immigration policy for the remainder of this administration and the next.”
Murkowski added that she would have voted for the package if it had “provided one year’s worth of immigration funds, included clear limits on how those funds could be spent, and eliminated any possibility of taxpayer dollars going to the administration’s brazen ‘anti-gun’ fund.”
Majority Leader John Thune said during floor debate that GOP leaders were forced to craft the package after Democrats “walked away” from negotiations that could have imposed restrictions on federal immigration officials.
“Republicans will continue to ensure that these agencies have the resources they need to carry out their national security missions,” the South Dakota Republican said.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., argued the measure shows Republicans are more focused on funding deportations than lowering the cost of living.
“Apparently Republicans believe we cannot afford a single penny to help Americans cover the skyrocketing costs of gasoline, health care, housing, food, energy, etc.,” he said. “But somehow we can afford to give Trump’s rogue agencies another $70 billion.”
The Senate’s approval followed a marathon vote on amendments that stretched throughout Thursday and into the night as Democrats sought to challenge Republican senators over policy differences just months before the November midterm elections. No changes were approved.
Building on a “big, beautiful” law
The bill would provide a second hefty injection of funding to agencies carrying out the president’s crackdown on immigration, building on $170 billion approved by Republicans contain in their “big, beautiful” law.
This legislation would require:
- $38.53 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- $26.02 billion for Customs and Border Protection
- $5 billion for the Secretary of Homeland Security.
The money would be available until September 30, 2029, the end of the fiscal year. Republicans decided not to impose novel protections on immigration officials.
The measure approved by Republican senators was slightly different from the original version released in early May, which included $1 billion for the Secret Service to make security improvements related to the presidential ballroom East wing modernization project.
Republicans also eliminated $1.46 billion that would have increased funding for several Justice Department programs.
Additionally, Republican lawmakers increased ICE funding by $350 million compared to the previous version of the bill.
Republican leaders are pushing the package through the sophisticated process of budget reconciliationthereby avoiding the need to secure Democratic votes in the Senate that would otherwise be needed to end debate on the measure.
Republican leaders opted for the special legislative maneuver after failing to reach an agreement with Democrats on imposing restrictions on immigration officials.
Democratic lawmakers said novel guardrailsincluding body cameras and preventing the apply of masks, were necessary after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January.
The impasse led to this a 76 day shutdown At the Department of Homeland Security, that didn’t end until delayed April, when Congress approved the annual spending bill with no funding for ICE or Border Patrol.
June 1st deadline missed
The reconciliation process is subject to several strict rules that require a regulation of income, expenditure or debt limit in each section of the legislation. Nor can proposals be viewed as “merely incidental” to the federal budget.
Trump wanted Congress to approve the funding package before the self-imposed June 1 deadline. But work on the measure came to a standstill after the government announced plans to create a $1.776 billion fund to pay people who believe they are being unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department.
Debate on the bill resumed this week after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated Before a House subcommittee on Tuesday, the administration “did not move forward with the fund, period.”
However, when Trump was asked during an Oval Office event on Wednesday whether the fund was “dead or on hold,” he clouded the situation somewhat.
“I’d have to ask my lawyers. I don’t know,” he said. “Are you talking about the gun fund? To me, the gun fund was a beautiful thing.”
Hard amendment votes
The Justice Department’s “anti-gun” report was one of many topics senators planned to address during a marathon voting session began Thursday morning and lasted until just before sunrise on Friday.
Several Republicans, including those facing arduous re-election bids, sided with Democrats on proposals and offered changes of their own, but none were added.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina unsuccessfully tried to insert language that would have required people registering to vote to show proof of U.S. citizenship and later present a photo ID to cast their vote.
Senators voted 48 to 50 Rejecting Graham’s attempt to add the SAVE America Act, showing the legislation still lacks the votes to be approved by Congress Pressure from the President.
Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Murkowski and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted with the Democrats.
A majority of senators supported an attempt by Chris Coons of Delaware to bar the Justice Department from making payments to people convicted of assaults on police on Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump supporters attacked the Capitol.
The 54-45 voteshowever, was not enough to include the provision in the package. It took the support of at least 60 senators to overcome a procedural hurdle because of a lack of language in the immigration bill. Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Collins, Jon Husted of Ohio, Ashley Moody of Florida, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Murkowski, Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Tillis voted with the Democrats.
An amendment by Cassidy to compensate “law enforcement officers who defended the United States Capitol” on Jan. 6 failed to reach the 60 votes required after a motion 52-47 votes. Cassidy, as well as Collins, Husted, Murkowski, Sullivan and Tillis, voted with the Democrats.
Oregon Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley proposed an amendment that would have required congressional approval before construction of the White House Ballroom could proceed, but it was not adopted after a resolution was passed 53-46 votes.
Cassidy, Collins, Husted, Moran, Murkowski, Sullivan and Tillis voted for Democrats, but at least 60 votes were needed to overcome an objection.
health insurance
Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff attempted to apply a maneuver that would have sent the bill back to the Judiciary Committee to “create a task force to conduct investigations into health insurance companies that have been found to routinely deny and delay patients’ access to medically necessary care.”
Ossoff told the story of a woman named Ellen from Atlanta who struggled with her insurance company after she was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma.
“As Ellen told me, quote: ‘It’s ridiculous that a company has its finger on the button of your life. They’re only focused on the profit margin. I just want to be healthy and alive,'” he said. “Thankfully, Ellen’s cancer is now in remission. But across America, insurance companies continue to deny and delay medically necessary health care.”
Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said the issue was “worth reviewing” but declined to raise it during debate on immigration and deportation legislation.
“The Justice Department is already investigating health insurance fraud. The Senate also confirmed a new assistant attorney general for fraud prevention,” he said. “Furthermore, sending the reconciliation bill back to the Judiciary Committee would essentially kill it.”
The Senate did not approve Ossoff’s request for one 47-50 votes. Collins was the only Republican to vote with the Democrats.
