Senate Republicans Ram Through Plan to Bankroll ICE in Dead of Night

Senate Republicans held a budget reconciliation “vote-a-rama” in the wee hours of the night to kickstart their Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol funding process. The controversial move, which wrapped up just after 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, resulted in a 50–48 vote in their favor, with zero Democrats supporting and Senators Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski breaking rank.

“We have a multistep process ahead of us, but at the end, Republicans will have helped ensure that America’s borders are secure and prevented Democrats from defunding these important agencies,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

The measure still has to pass through the House, but if adopted as is, it would give ICE and Border Patrol up to $70 billion through the end of Trump’s term in 2029. While it would end the partial shutdown of Homeland Security, it would also fund the most controversial branches of the department following national outrage over the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.

“America, this is what the Republicans are fighting for,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor of the Senate. “To maintain two unchecked rogue agencies that are dreaded in all corners of the country instead of reducing your health care costs, your housing costs, your grocery costs, your gas costs.”