Senate Passes $70 Billion Budget Plan to Fund ICE and CBP

The U.S. Senate voted 50-48 on April 23, 2026, to adopt a budget resolution providing approximately $70 billion to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The measure utilizes the budget reconciliation process to bypass the 60-vote filibuster threshold, seeking to secure funding for these agencies through 2029 and the remainder of Donald Trump's term.

This legislative push follows a partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown that began in mid-February, the longest in U.S. history. The impasse was triggered by Democratic demands for operational reforms and judicial warrants following the fatal January shootings of two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis. While Republicans view the funding as essential for border security and mass deportations, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the agencies as rogue and characterized the funding as a partisan sideshow.

The conflict escalated when Schumer claimed on the Senate floor that nobody respects ICE or CBP, prompting Trump to demand an apology and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to label Schumer a lying scumbag. Mullin has warned that emergency payroll funds are depleting rapidly, with a critical shortage expected by early May that could lead to TSA walkouts and further airport disruptions.

The resolution now moves to the House of Representatives. Speaker Mike Johnson is managing a two-track approach, though some House Republicans are pushing to expand the bill's scope. President Trump has set a June 1 deadline for the final legislation to be signed.