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Congress Sends $70 Billion Secure America Act to President to Fund ICE and Border Patrol

The measure locks multi-year lump-sum appropriations through Sept. 30, 2029, reducing Congress’s routine leverage over immigration enforcement.

Overview

  • The House passed the roughly $70 billion package in a 214–212 party-line vote, finishing a fight that followed months of disputes and a partial DHS shutdown; the bill cleared the Senate 52–47 with Sen. Lisa Murkowski the only Republican opposed.
  • The Secure America Act directs about $38.5 billion to ICE, roughly $22.6–26 billion to Border Patrol and about $5 billion for DHS contingency spending, with funding structured as lump sums that cover spending through fiscal 2029.
  • Republicans used the budget reconciliation process to pass the bill with a simple majority, a tactic that bypassed the 60-vote filibuster threshold and prevented Democrats from blocking the measure.
  • Democrats withheld support after two civilians were killed in a January enforcement surge and pressed for operational reforms such as body cameras and warrant requirements; the final law contains few of those new restrictions, drawing sharp Democratic criticism.
  • The bill was sent to President Donald Trump for signature and most outlets treat his approval as imminent, though some reports say he already signed it and the separate proposed $1.8 billion DOJ "anti-weaponization" fund has been publicly walked back by DOJ while legal challenges and political debate continue.