A view of the U.S. Capitol on June 4, 2026.
Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
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Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
Following an intense 18-hour voting session, Senate Republicans have moved forward with a proposal to allocate approximately $70 billion for immigration enforcement agencies. This funding was initially excluded from a previous agreement intended to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. The approved funds are set to last through the remainder of President Trump’s term.
Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska was the only Republican who opposed the measure.
The proposal is now set to be voted on in the House of Representatives, potentially as soon as next week.
The Senate’s decision marks a win for Republicans who have been striving to advance immigration enforcement legislation for months. However, the prolonged voting process revealed internal divisions.
A significant point of contention is the Trump administration’s plan for a $1.8 billion fund aimed at compensating those who claim political targeting by the government, potentially including participants in the January 6 events.
This fund emerged from a settlement related to a $10 billion lawsuit President Trump filed against his government following the 2019 leak of his tax records. Many lawmakers, including Republicans, are critical of this fund, especially those who were present during the 2021 Capitol attack.
“Many members have concerns, understandably,” remarked Senate Majority Leader John Thune from South Dakota last month.
“People are worried about essential expenses like mortgages, groceries, and gas—not about creating a $1.8 billion fund for the President and his allies without legal basis or oversight,” commented Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana on X. Cassidy recently lost his primary race to a Trump-endorsed candidate.
The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, attempted to address these concerns during a House testimony, indicating the administration’s intention to abandon the fund. Yet, President Trump cast doubt on this development, expressing uncertainty in a subsequent Oval Office statement.
“I’d have to ask the lawyers,” he said. “I don’t know.”
On Thursday night, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sought to redirect the bill to the Senate Judiciary Committee to effectively terminate the fund. This move received backing from three Republicans facing re-election: Susan Collins of Maine, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Jon Husted of Ohio.
Republican senators also proposed amendments to restrict the fund, including a suggestion from Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina to allocate the money for fraud prevention efforts.
Eight GOP senators supported an amendment to block payouts from the fund to January 6 participants.
Repeated delays
The controversy surrounding the fund further delayed the immigration enforcement package, which the president had initially requested to be passed by June 1.
Republicans resorted to a special procedure known as reconciliation to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote requirement for most legislation. This allowed them to secure funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, as Democrats withheld their support.
Democrats aimed to initiate discussions on reforms to immigration enforcement, including face-covering restrictions and mandatory body cameras, in response to federal agents killing two American citizens in Minnesota earlier this year. This dispute resulted in the longest shutdown of a U.S. government agency, with the Department of Homeland Security closed for 76 days.
