The U.S. Senate approved a roughly $70 billion immigration enforcement package early Friday, advancing a major funding measure for federal border and immigration agencies and delivering a significant legislative victory for President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans.
The legislation passed 52-47 after an overnight voting session that lasted about 18 hours. Republicans used the budget reconciliation process to move the bill through the chamber with a simple majority vote.
The measure now heads to the House of Representatives, where lawmakers are expected to consider it in the coming days.
The funding package is primarily directed toward the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Supporters say the measure would provide resources needed to sustain immigration enforcement operations through the remainder of Trump’s term and shield the agencies from future government shutdown disputes.
The legislation would expand detention capacity, add personnel at border agencies, and support ongoing deportation operations. Republican backers have described the proposal as a long-term investment in border security and enforcement.
Only one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted against final passage. No Democrats supported the bill.
A major point of contention during the debate was a proposed $1.8 billion Justice Department “anti-weaponization” fund backed by the Trump administration. Critics argued that the fund could benefit Trump allies and potentially compensate individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, protests at the U.S. Capitol.
Democratic lawmakers repeatedly sought to eliminate the fund during the marathon voting session, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Several Republicans also expressed concerns about the proposal and supported amendments to block or redirect the money.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, one of the fund’s most vocal Republican critics, joined Democratic Sen. Cory Booker in a court filing challenging the program.
“The Anti-Weaponization Fund presents a threat to our constitutional democracy that this Court has never before been asked to confront,” the senators wrote, CNN reported.
The debate exposed divisions within the Republican caucus and temporarily slowed progress on the bill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged the dispute had delayed final passage.
“This would have been done several hours ago if we weren’t having to deal with some of the issues around the fund,” Thune said shortly before midnight, per The Guardian.
The Trump administration had attempted to reassure skeptical lawmakers that the fund would not move forward. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers earlier in the week that the administration was “not moving forward with the fund, period,” CNN reported.
Trump, however, offered a less definitive assessment.
“I’d have to ask the lawyers, I don’t know,” Trump said when asked whether the fund was permanently abandoned, per CNN. “As far as I’m concerned, it was a beautiful thing.”
Senators also considered several other amendments during the voting session. An effort to add the SAVE America Act, which would require voter identification and proof of U.S. citizenship to vote, failed to secure the 60 votes needed for approval.
The Senate also rejected an amendment that would have prohibited funding for a proposed Trump ballroom project.
Supporters of the immigration package have characterized it as one of the largest investments in federal immigration enforcement in recent years. Opponents have argued the legislation focuses heavily on enforcement while leaving broader immigration policy issues unresolved.
If approved by the House and signed by Trump, the measure would significantly expand federal immigration enforcement activities through the end of the President’s term.
