House Republicans Pass Immigration Funding After Months of Standoff
House Republicans advanced a major legislative victory on Tuesday by approving a $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies through the end of Donald Trump's presidential term. The measure passed 214-212, largely along party lines, and now awaits Trump's signature after winning Senate approval last week.
The Secure America Act allocates $38 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $26 billion to Customs and Border Protection, and $5 billion more to the Department of Homeland Security through September 2029. The vote breaks a months-long impasse with Democrats that had forced a partial government shutdown lasting 75 days starting in mid-February.
Democrats had blocked funding for ICE and CBP since January, following federal agents' killing of two US citizens in Minneapolis during immigration enforcement operations. Their boycott aimed to force negotiations on reforming immigration enforcement but ultimately failed. After the shutdown, Democrats agreed to fund most DHS operations while excluding the two agencies, which Republicans then moved to finance through Trump's entire presidency.
"With today's vote, House and Senate Republicans have officially ended the third Democrat government shutdown of this Congress," Speaker Mike Johnson said. "All that Democrats have achieved by their shutdown is a useful reminder to the American people of their support for open borders and keeping criminal illegal immigrants in American communities."
House Democrats unanimously opposed the legislation. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized it as a "blank check to ICE without any guardrails, any oversight, any accountability." House Majority Leader Steve Scalise reframed the debate in law enforcement terms, telling supporters they were voting to fund police. "You vote no, you are voting to defund the police," he said.
The bill's passage represents a significant accomplishment for Johnson, who manages a historically narrow Republican majority. However, the legislation was complicated by several contentious issues. Democrats attempted unsuccessfully to block financial settlements to anyone convicted of assaulting police officers during the January 6 Capitol riot. Republicans also sought unsuccessfully to include language permitting Trump's proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund to compensate his allies.
The Senate had previously removed $1 billion allocated for security improvements at a Trump ballroom being constructed at the White House after the chamber's parliamentarian ruled the funds could not be included under the budget reconciliation procedure that bypassed the Democratic filibuster.
The bill's passage comes as House Republicans work to advance their agenda while managing internal divisions and maintaining their fragile majorities.