House Ends Immigration Funding Fight with Narrow Passage of $70B Secure America Act

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill on Tuesday, June 9, sealing the end of a month-long Capitol Hill battle and ensuring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) remain funded through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s second term.

The legislation, known as the Secure America Act, advanced in a razor-thin 214-to-212 vote, with all House Democrats opposing it alongside independent Rep. Kevin Kiley of California. The bill now moves to President Trump’s desk for his expected signature, concluding weeks of obstacles and delays that threatened to leave the agencies unfunded.

What the Bill Funds

The $70 billion package represents a multi-year investment stretching through fiscal year 2029, with funding primarily allocated to:

Unlike typical annual appropriations, this funding structure provides a substantial multi-year infusion rather than year-to-year funding.

Democratic Opposition Centered on Reforms

Democrats blocked the bill for weeks, demanding significant reforms to ICE and CBP operating procedures after two American citizens were fatally shot by federal agents during Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis earlier this year. They insisted funding should not proceed without changes to the agencies’ operational protocols.

The legislation passed only with Republican votes, as Democrats refused to provide funding without reforms. The Senate had approved the package last week in a 52–47 vote, also without Democratic support.

Republican Leaders Celebrate Passage

House Speaker Mike Johnson applauded the vote Tuesday afternoon, blasting Democrats for their opposition:

“With today’s vote, House and Senate Republicans have officially ended the third Democrat government shutdown of this Congress. CBP and ICE will now be funded for the remainder of President Trump’s term and Democrats will have no ability to defund these agencies in the 119th or 120th Congresses”.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), chair of the Budget Committee and the bill’s sponsor, praised his House colleagues for their “swift passage”:

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“Despite Democrat efforts to shut down ICE and the Border Patrol, Republicans have now fully funded these agencies through President Trump’s entire second term to the tune of nearly $70 billion”.

The Secure America Act was sponsored by Graham through the Budget Committee. Nearly all funding targets DHS’s ICE and Border Patrol agencies carrying out Trump’s vigorous deportation operations.

This vote concludes the third attempted shutdown by Democrats this Congress and locks in immigration enforcement funding for the next three years through the end of Trump’s term.