US Senate passes additional $70bn for Immigration Enforcement

The U.S. Senate has given President Donald Trump a legislative victory in the early hours of Friday, passing a bill that would provide the Department of Homeland Security with an additional $70 billion for immigration enforcement.

The measure will now proceed to the House of Representatives for final consideration.

A vote of 52–47 by the Senate approved the legislation. No Democrats supported the bill, and it did not include a provision to prohibit a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponisation” fund that could be used to compensate Trump’s political allies over claims that they were mistreated by the government. One Republican senator voted against the measure.

According to Reuters, Senate Republican Leader John Thune described the fund as a “settled issue”, citing testimony before Congress from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who stated that the Department of Justice would not proceed with it.

Democrats, however, have argued that his assurances are insufficient. Trump has nominated Blanche to serve permanently as head of the Justice Department.