US Senate approves $70bn for Trump immigration crackdown

The US Senate approved $70 billion for President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, a significant win for the president on a signature issue. The funding, which covers Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through the remainder of Trump's term, passed after months of negotiations and intense debate. It now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The legislation's passage followed a lengthy "vote-a-rama," a procedural process involving numerous amendments that exposed divisions within the Republican party. Several amendments touched on controversial policy proposals, including a Justice Department-proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponisation" compensation fund. Critics labeled this fund a "slush fund" that could potentially benefit individuals convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Despite these concerns, the administration stated it would not proceed with the fund, though Trump expressed continued support, creating ambiguity.

Some Republicans sought to codify the fund's demise into law, highlighting unease about defending Trump's priorities ahead of midterm elections. While these amendment votes did not derail Trump's core agenda, they underscored the challenges of maintaining party unity. The bill's journey also highlighted the use of the "budget reconciliation" process, which allows for bypassing Democratic opposition if Republican members remain united, a strategy employed after a record partial government shutdown earlier in the year when Democrats opposed new immigration enforcement funds without restrictions on tactics.

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When you’re explaining, you’re losing. There’s no way to explain the $1.776 (billion) fund. So the only way you can explain it is explain that you got rid of it.