Senate Pushes $70 Billion ICE Funding Without Democratic Help

The Senate has kicked off a long voting marathon, with Republicans moving forward on a plan to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). They are doing this through budget reconciliation, a process that lets the majority pass bills with only 51 votes instead of the usual 60.

Key Points

• New budget resolution allows Senate committees to add up to $70 billion for the agencies.
• Funding stream is set to cover over three years, keeping ICE and CBP operational through the rest of President Trump’s term.
• Democrats want reforms to how DHS handles immigration.

The Voting Strategy

Senators will hold a “vote‑a‑rama,” where amendments can be added endlessly. Democrats have already begun rolling out a flood of changes aimed at forcing Republicans to justify spending billions on immigration enforcement.

• Chuck Schumer (Minority Leader) said Democrats will present many amendments, hoping to record Republican support for large budgets while highlighting the need for affordability.
• Schumer criticized Republicans as “willing to pay billions for a private army” without constraints, warning that the Senate would learn the hard way if costs aren’t cut.

Political Dynamics

• Republicans control 53 seats, allowing them to push through the funding bill even though most legislation needs a supermajority.
• The plan follows a deadlock over DHS funding that began after fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis.
• Democrats demanded reforms before agreeing to fund the department; the House still has not approved the Senate’s budget reconciliation version.
• John Thune (Majority Leader) expressed hope that the House will act soon, noting that DHS officials fear funding could run out next month.
• John Kennedy (Republican Senator) briefly tried to alter the bill but later let the vote proceed, warning that there would be no further chances for a reconciliation bill. He urged the inclusion of affordability measures and a savings act to help voters with rising costs.

Bottom Line
The Senate’s move is a strategic use of reconciliation to secure stable funding for ICE and CBP, while Democrats push for reforms and cost controls in a high‑stakes legislative showdown.