US Senate approves $70 billion package for ICE operations

U.S. Senate Republicans overcame deep internal divisions to pass a massive $70 billion immigration enforcement package on Friday, delivering a major political victory to President Donald Trump after weeks of fighting to pass the bill.

The bill funds Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border patrol for the remainder of Trump's term, protecting the agencies from potential government shutdowns.

The text was approved in the Senate by 52 votes in favor and 47 against, after 18 hours of voting, in which only one Republican voted against. The proposal now goes to the Chamber for a vote.

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In another victory for Trump, Republicans passed the immigration bill without eliminating a $1.8 billion Justice Department fund, supported by the president, to compensate people who say they were victims of federal persecution.

The immigration bill has been stalled for weeks amid the GOP controversy over the Trump-backed fund. Critics say it would serve as a slush fund for the president's allies and could award reparations to protesters who attacked police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, invasion of the U.S. Capitol.

Several Republicans voted in favor of formally blocking the fund, highlighting concerns within the party.

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However, the broader funding measure passed and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the only Republican who voted against it.

The Trump administration sought to convince Congress that it had given up the fund for Republicans to pass the immigration law. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers earlier this week that the government is "not moving forward with the fund, period."

Trump, however, was much less clear, defending the fund on Wednesday (3) and refusing to dismantle it permanently.

"I would have to ask the lawyers, I don't know," Trump told CNN on Wednesday about whether the fund is fully closed or just suspended. "As far as I'm concerned, it was a beautiful thing."

Severance fund amendment is overturned
At the start of the voting session, the Republican-majority Senate voted against an amendment from Democrats to end the severance fund - but only after hours of pressure from Republican Party leadership.

Before voting closed, Republicans' effort to pass the immigration bill was stalled for hours. The session was interrupted while party leaders negotiated with a group of Republicans who refused to vote against the amendment that sought to block the fund.

That group included Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who recently lost the primary after public clashes with Trump. But Cassidy ended up voting against pressure from Democrats.

The senator then blocked an attempt by Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina to end the fund, with 11 other Republicans voting in favor.

Senator Cassidy made his distaste for the compensation fund clear in a court document he filed with Democratic Senator Cory Booker on Thursday. "The fund represents a threat to our constitutional democracy that this Court has never before been asked to address," the senators wrote in the document.

They accused the government of trying to end Congress's taxing powers. They also stated that the possibility of the fund being used to compensate the January 6 protesters is a "scheme deliberately designed to turn rioters - including those who perpetrated violence against law enforcement officers - into victims."

Democrats also tried to use amendments to block other Trump priorities.

An amendment by Senator Jeff Merkley to ban funding for the president's ballroom was rejected, although some Republican senators voted in favor.

Republicans also used the voting session as an opportunity to prove their loyalty to Trump on another issue - the "SAVE America Act," a controversial voter ID law supported by the president that would require identification documents and proof of American citizenship to vote.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham introduced an amendment to add "SAVE America" to the immigration bill. The amendment needed 60 votes to pass, but failed because four Republicans - Senators Susan Collins, Murkowski, Mitch McConnell and Tillis - joined Democrats in voting against it.

In preparation for the final approval vote, GOP leaders tried to defuse a possible revolt by the small group of Republicans who were hesitant to support the immigration bill without ending the compensation fund.

Republican Thom Tillis told CNN on Thursday that he would not vote for the immigration funding bill if it did not include an amendment to eliminate the Trump-backed fund.

Tillis, however, voted in favor of the final project without new wording after 18 consecutive hours of voting.

ICE: Learn about the structure of the US immigration service

Source: CNN