Overview
- The Senate, in a party-line 52-46 vote on Tuesday, agreed to take up a GOP budget resolution that starts a reconciliation process allowing passage with a simple majority after an expected vote-a-rama this week.
- The resolution tells the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees to deliver draft legislation by May 15, authorizing up to $70 billion per panel, though leaders target roughly $70–80 billion total to fund ICE and parts of CBP for about 3.5 years.
- Republicans are running a two-track plan in which the rest of DHS is funded through regular appropriations, but House leaders say they will not move that bill until the Senate shows progress on the enforcement package.
- Democrats oppose funding immigration agencies without new guardrails after January’s fatal shootings in Minneapolis and plan to force amendment votes on restraints for agents and on cost-of-living priorities.
- Operational pressure is mounting after more than two months of a partial DHS shutdown and waning temporary pay measures, with GOP leaders aiming to finish a final bill by June 1 despite internal pushes to expand the package beyond a narrow scope.