The House of Representatives has approved a Republican-led immigration-enforcement bill worth $70 billion, ending a long-standing standoff over funding for key agencies. The bill passed on Tuesday with a razor-thin margin of 214-212, following the Senate's approval last week through a special budget process that allowed Republicans to bypass the usual 60-vote threshold.
Congress had already secured funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security, but Democratic lawmakers had blocked money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. This measure is expected to provide financing for those agencies through the end of President Donald Trump's second term. The bill now heads to Trump's desk for his signature.
Lawmakers React
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said during a press conference on Tuesday that funding for border security and immigration enforcement was "long overdue," adding that it was "sad" Republicans had to pursue the effort on their own. On the other side, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) argued that taxpayer dollars should be used to make life "more affordable for the American people" rather than give ICE another "$70 billion blank check," which he claimed would enable the agency to "unleash brutality" and target law-abiding immigrant communities.
Immigration Policy Shifts Accelerate
This funding comes amid a flurry of immigration-related developments. Tom Homan, the White House border czar, announced that New York City would see its largest-ever deployment of ICE agents, following Governor Kathy Hochul's legislation limiting local cooperation with federal immigration officials.
In May, the Trump administration tightened immigration rules, requiring many foreign nationals seeking green cards to leave the U.S. and apply from their home countries. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a policy change that makes most temporary visa holders seeking permanent residency return home and apply through U.S. embassies or consulates, with exceptions reviewed case-by-case.
Meanwhile, a federal judge ruled Trump's controversial $100,000 H-1B visa fee unlawful, lifting a significant cost burden for large technology employers that rely on skilled foreign talent.
