US House passes $70 billion bill to fund ICE, Border Patrol

WASHINGTON, June 9 – A longstanding political stalemate in the U.S. Congress over money for immigration enforcement ended on Tuesday, when the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a $70 billion bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s administration.

The 214-212 vote, which was roughly along party lines, sends the partisan legislation to the White House for Trump’s signature. Representative Kevin Kiley, a former Republican who has recently become an independent, joined Democrats to oppose the measure.

The Republican-led Senate passed the same bill late last week after a marathon voting session. Republicans used a fast-track process known as reconciliation, which allowed them to circumvent opposition from Senate Democrats.

Policy disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over reforms for immigration agents led to a 76-day partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year. The shutdown largely ended in April, after Trump signed a bipartisan bill funding DHS agencies that are not involved in the president’s immigration crackdown through September 30, the end of the fiscal year.

Trump repeatedly upended Republicans’ efforts to pass the legislation in the Senate with his support for $1 billion toward security for his White House ballroom and a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that could compensate his political allies for allegations that the government mistreated them.

The ballroom funding was removed from the bill, and Republicans defeated amendments to impose restrictions on the anti-weaponization fund, which the administration has said will no longer go forward.

Democrats vehemently opposed funding for immigration enforcement after the fatal shootings of two Americans by immigration agents in January. But they failed to reach an agreement with the White House on a package of reforms. REUTERS