House Approves $70 Billion Multi-Year Funding Package for Immigration Enforcement
The U.S. House passed a $70 billion bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol for three years, sending it to the president for signature amid partisan debate over oversight and immigration policy.
The House approved a nearly $70 billion immigration-enforcement funding bill on a 214-212 vote, sending the measure to the president for signature. The package allocates $38 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $26 billion to the Border Patrol and $5 billion for unforeseen costs, providing three years of funding without additional conditions.
Speaker Mike Johnson said the legislation was “long overdue” and necessary to fund border security, while Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett called it a “slush fund for ICE.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise warned that voting against the bill would amount to defunding law enforcement, and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries argued the funding lacks oversight and accountability.
The bill follows a previous $140 billion allocation to ICE and Customs and Border Protection passed in the prior fiscal year. It also concludes a prolonged standoff in Congress after Democrats refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security amid concerns over agency practices in Minneapolis. The Senate passed the measure 52-47, with only one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, voting against it.
Republican officials emphasized the need for “regular, normal funding” to avoid future shutdowns, while Democrats highlighted demands for reforms such as mask removal, badge identification, and judicial warrants for agency operations. The funding arrives as the Department of Homeland Security, now led by Secretary Markwayne Mullin, faces pressure to meet the administration’s goal of one million deportations per year and to implement broader immigration policy changes.