The House approved a $70 billion immigration enforcement package Tuesday, delivering a major victory for President Donald Trump’s border security agenda and providing funding for deportation and border enforcement operations through the remainder of his term.
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The legislation passed 214-212 along party lines and now heads to Trump, who is expected to sign it into law Wednesday.
Republicans used their slim House majority to push the bill through after weeks of negotiations and internal disputes, ultimately stripping out several provisions to focus exclusively on immigration enforcement.
According to the White House, the measure provides $38 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $26 billion for the Border Patrol and another $5 billion for unexpected expenses. The funding is structured to ensure a steady flow of resources over the next three years as the administration seeks to carry out its immigration enforcement priorities.
The legislation represents a significant boost to Trump’s pledge to conduct what he has described as the largest deportation operation in American history.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said the funding was necessary to address border security and immigration enforcement challenges.
“It’s long overdue,” Johnson said. “We have to fund border security and immigration enforcement, and it’s sad that Republicans have to do it on our own.”
The bill originally included more than $1 billion for White House security projects and a proposed $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate individuals who claimed they had been unfairly investigated or prosecuted. Both provisions generated opposition and were ultimately removed from the package.
Republicans framed the final legislation as a straightforward effort to strengthen border security and provide resources for federal law enforcement agencies.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise argued that the vote was ultimately about supporting law enforcement and public safety.
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“Make no mistake, if you’re voting yes, you’re not only voting to secure America’s border, you’re voting to fund law enforcement,” Scalise said. “And if you vote no, you are voting to defund the police.”
Democrats unanimously opposed the legislation, claiming the funding lacked sufficient oversight and accountability requirements.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of providing additional resources to immigration enforcement agencies without imposing new restrictions on their operations.
“Republicans have now come back for more, to give ICE and Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine another $70 billion blank check, with no oversight, no accountability and no guardrails,” Jeffries said.
Democrats also sought changes requiring immigration agents to display identification badges, remove masks during enforcement operations and obtain judicial warrants before entering private property. Those proposals were not included in the final legislation.
The funding battle followed a congressional standoff after Democrats declined to support funding for the Department of Homeland Security, resulting in the longest shutdown in the agency’s history. When negotiations failed, Republicans turned to procedural maneuvers to advance the legislation without Democratic support.
Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) chairman of the House Budget Committee, said the legislation would provide stable funding and help prevent future budget crises.
“And we’re going to do it, not for one year, but for three years, so we don’t end up here again,” Arrington said.
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