The measure would provide three years of funding for ICE and Border Patrol after months of disputes over Department of Homeland Security enforcement spending.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
House Republicans moved Tuesday to advance a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill, bringing Congress closer to ending a months-long funding fight over Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operations.
The House voted along party lines to begin debate on the measure, which would fund ICE and the Border Patrol for the next three years. A final House vote was expected later Tuesday. If approved, the legislation would go to President Donald Trump for his signature.
The Senate passed the bill early Friday, also on a party-line vote.
The measure is intended to shield immigration enforcement funding from annual congressional spending battles by providing multiyear support for agencies involved in border security and interior enforcement.
The funding dispute began after Democrats refused to support immigration enforcement spending following the January deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis during an encounter involving federal agents.
The standoff disrupted broader Department of Homeland Security funding and contributed to long airport security lines. In April, lawmakers reached a partial agreement to fund portions of DHS that were not connected to Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The bill now moving through the House would resolve the remaining fight over immigration enforcement money by providing a three-year funding stream for ICE and the Border Patrol.
Republicans have argued the funding is necessary to maintain border security and immigration enforcement operations. Democrats opposed the measure after objecting to enforcement actions tied to the administration’s immigration policies.
If the House passes the bill and Trump signs it, the legislation would mark a major funding victory for the administration’s immigration agenda.
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