Secure America Act delivers major funding boost for ICE and Border Patrol through 2029 as partisan divisions over immigration policy intensify in Washington
President Donald Trump on June 10 signed a $72 billion bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol.
The legislation, known as the Secure America Act, provides funding for ICE and Border Patrol operations through Jan. 20, 2029, the final day of Trump’s current term.
The measure narrowly passed the House on June 9 in a 214–212 vote. The Senate approved the bill in the early hours of June 5 through the budget reconciliation process, allowing lawmakers to bypass the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold. Every Senate Republican except Sen. Lisa Murkowski supported the bill, while all Democrats voted against it. Sen. Michael Bennet was absent during the vote.
Trump’s signature ends a 116-day standoff over immigration funding. Democrats had withheld support for additional ICE and Border Patrol funding unless reforms were included following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis involving immigration agents.
The legislation allocates $38 billion to immigration enforcement efforts, including the hiring, training, equipping, and compensation of ICE personnel. Of that total, $7 billion is designated for Homeland Security Investigations, while the remaining $31 billion will support enforcement operations such as expanding the number of immigration attorneys, assisting local law enforcement agencies cooperating with ICE, and purchasing equipment including body cameras.
The bill also provides $22 billion for the Border Patrol to recruit, train, pay, and equip agents and staff. Approximately $13 billion of that amount is specifically reserved for immigration enforcement operations.
In addition, the law sets aside $5 billion for border security technology and screening systems, including artificial intelligence tools. Another $350 million is allocated for enforcement operations in jurisdictions that do not formally cooperate with ICE.
Following House approval of the bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Democrats would not be able to defund ICE and Border Patrol in the coming years.
“All that Democrats have achieved by their shutdown is a useful reminder to the American people of their support for open borders and keeping criminal illegal immigrants in American communities—policies that have been soundly rejected by the American people over and over again,” he said in a statement sent to reporters. “We hope this episode serves as a future reminder to Democrats that when they shut the government down, they will receive less than nothing in return.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise described the bill as a measure supporting law enforcement.
“Make no mistake, if you’re voting yes, you’re not only voting to secure America’s border, you’re voting to fund law enforcement,” Scalise said. “And if you vote no, you are voting to defund the police.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the legislation.
“Republicans have now come back for more, to give ICE and Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine another $70 billion blank check, with no oversight, no accountability, and no guardrails,” he said.
The funding arrives during a significant period for the Department of Homeland Security, which underwent a leadership change in March after Trump replaced Kristi Noem with Markwayne Mullin.
Although Mullin has pledged to keep the department out of the spotlight, the administration continues to face pressure from immigration hardliners to fulfill Trump’s campaign promise of carrying out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
Progress on the legislation was delayed by disagreements among Republicans over a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund for individuals claiming harm from federal government actions. Opposition to the provision eased after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on June 2 that the administration would terminate the program.
Following that announcement, Senate Republicans released revised legislative text on June 3 removing both the compensation fund and $1 billion previously allocated for a White House ballroom project and security upgrades.
Legislation passed in April to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security—excluding ICE and the Border Patrol—included provisions to finance body camera purchases, strengthen congressional oversight of detention facilities, and require de-escalation training for officers and agents.
Funding for ICE and the Border Patrol was handled separately after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach an agreement on broader immigration and enforcement reforms. As negotiations stalled, the Department of Homeland Security experienced a shutdown that lasted a record period of time.
The new funding comes in addition to nearly $140 billion that ICE and Customs and Border Protection received last year under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
