The U.S. Senate voted early Friday to approve President Donald Trump’s request for an additional $70 billion in immigration enforcement funding, pushing forward a measure that Republicans advanced despite strong opposition from Democrats. The bill, which now heads to the House of Representatives for final approval, is not expected to be taken up until next week, according to Republican leaders.
The vote came after a marathon session dominated by fierce debate over unrelated provisions, including attempts to block funding for a lavish 90,000-square-foot ballroom Trump wants on White House grounds. Democrats and a handful of Republicans pushed to prohibit the use of federal funds and private donations for the project, but those efforts were ultimately overshadowed by a more contentious fight over a proposed $1.776 billion fund critics call a “slush fund” for Trump’s political allies.
The fund, which would compensate individuals alleging government mistreatment, has become a flashpoint. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer labeled it “heinous” and moved to kill it, but his measure failed in a 50-49 vote. The narrow margin exposed deep divisions among Senate Republicans, with some facing tough reelection battles in November. Senators Susan Collins, Jon Husted, and Dan Sullivan broke ranks to support Schumer’s motion, highlighting the political turmoil within the party as Trump’s approval ratings dip.
The broader bill aims to bolster Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agencies, funding Trump’s controversial deportation crackdown over the next three years. It adds to roughly $100 billion in unspent Department of Homeland Security law enforcement money enacted last year.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who opposed Schumer’s motion, insisted on a separate amendment vote to codify acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s testimony that the administration was abandoning the fund. Tillis warned that failing to address the issue would burden Republicans up for reelection, who fear voter backlash.
Opponents, including Senator Bill Cassidy and Democratic Senator Cory Booker, have filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging a federal judge to maintain a block on the fund, calling it “an immediate and dire threat to our constitutional order.” Cassidy, who lost his primary in Louisiana, has also proposed amendments to nullify an IRS agreement protecting Trump from tax audits.
The White House and Justice Department have put the fund on hold, but Trump declined to confirm its termination, telling reporters, “I love it. I think it’s so important.”
