Senate Republicans End Run Democrat Obstruction, Start Process to Fund ICE, Border Patrol Through Budget Reconciliation

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Senate passed a budget resolution by a vote of 50 to 48 today, marking the first phase of the budget reconciliation process. This resolution is the first step in passing a targeted reconciliation bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operations for at least the remainder of the Trump administration.

The House of Representatives must now pass its version of a resolution.

"There's a pretty obvious reality here: Democrats are way more focused on keeping illegal immigrants here in the United States than they are on keeping our communities safe," said U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND). "But today, their obstruction is nearing an end. This is not the ideal way to fully fund ICE or Customs and Border Protection, but Democrats walked away from the appropriations deal that we negotiated. This vote gets us close to making sure these agencies have the resources they need so we can deliver the rule of law and security Americans overwhelmingly voted for in 2024."

Under the Biden administration's failed immigration policies, the priorities of American citizens were ignored, and a flood of illegal aliens entered the country. There were more than 11 million encounters with illegal immigrants nationwide, including roughly 8 million at the southern border. Over 4 million were released into the United States.

Now, under the Trump administration, crossings are at historic lows. Daily apprehensions have dropped to 245, a 95% decrease from the 5,110 daily average during the Biden-era. CBP recorded 237,538 encounters at the southern border in 2025, a dramatic fall from more than one and a half million in 2024, over two million in 2023, and more than two million in 2022, making it the lowest level since 1970. January marked the ninth straight month with zero releases of illegal immigrants into the interior of the country.

The Senate's passage of the budget resolution follows its vote at the end of March to provide funding for the rest of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's core operational agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The bill is awaiting passage in the House.