Senate begins voting on funding immigration enforcement after Trump's
settlement fund is dropped
[June 04, 2026]
By MARY CLARE JALONICK, KEVIN FREKING and JOEY CAPPELLETTI
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led Senate is moving forward with
legislation to fund immigration enforcement agencies after forcing the
Trump administration to say it will drop its settlement fund for
political allies and stripping a separate proposal for White House
security from the bill.
The Senate voted 53-46 on Wednesday to begin debate on the roughly $70
billion bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the
Border Patrol. The legislation was delayed for weeks as Republican
senators navigated the various obstacles to passage created by President
Donald Trump and the White House, but they are now moving quickly to
pass it after paring it back to its original form.
“Right now, the goal is to get the base bill across the finish line,”
said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
Still, Republicans will need to find enough votes to beat back multiple
amendments that Democrats — and some Republicans — say they will offer
to permanently ban Trump’s $1.776 billion settlement fund.
After fierce Republican pushback, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche
told House lawmakers at a hearing on Tuesday that “we are not moving
forward with the fund, period.” But shortly after the Senate voted to
move forward with the bill on Wednesday, Trump repeatedly defended the
settlement in response to reporters’ questions at the White House.
When asked directly whether the fund is dead or just on hold, Trump
responded: “I’d have to ask the lawyers, I don’t know.”
“I love it,” Trump said of the settlement. “I think it's so important.”
Republicans are using a process called budget reconciliation that
enables them to pass the legislation without any Democratic votes, but
they must first wade through a long series of amendment votes that could
pose problems for the bill. That process is expected to start on
Thursday.
Democratic amendments will test GOP unity
Republicans said they felt reassured by Blanche's promises to scrap the
fund, which was part of a settlement resolving Trump’s lawsuit against
the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. GOP senators had revolted and
left town two weeks ago after the Justice Department announced the
payouts, which could potentially go to participants in the violent Jan.
6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and other Trump allies.
Democrats say they want it written into the law.
“It is only a matter of time before Blanche and Trump go back on their
word,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., predicted
Wednesday morning.
After Trump's comments, Schumer posted on X that “this is EXACTLY why"
Democrats would be forcing votes to ban it.
Some Republicans also planned to try and put Blanche's promise in
writing. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has said he will offer an amendment
to block any attempt at resurrecting the fund.
“We’ve got a sufficient number of Republicans who have been very clear
they’ve got concerns there,” said Tillis.
Thune said earlier on Wednesday that Blanche’s comments were “extremely
helpful” and that he thought most GOP senators were satisfied. He said
he was working with Tillis and others who have discussed amendments as
he tries to ensure he has enough votes for a simple majority in the
53-47 Senate.
“Keep in mind, we’ve got to keep them all together, make sure we’ve got
50 votes for it,” Thune said.
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin testifies before the
House Committee on Homeland Security during a hearing on the Fiscal
2027 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security, in
Washington, Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Money dropped for Trump's ballroom
The legislation was also delayed by the opposition to $1 billion in
security funding for the White House, including for Trump’s new
ballroom, that was added to the original bill.
Democrats and some Republicans questioned using taxpayer money for
the massive project in a time of economic hardship for many voters.
Democrats had planned amendments to strip that language, as well.
As various side issues temporarily derailed the legislation,
Republicans have said their top priority is passing the ICE and
Border Patrol funding that Democrats have blocked for months in
protest of the administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown.
But success requires GOP unity in the Senate and the House before it
can reach Trump.
Republican House leaders said Wednesday they would like to pass the
bill before the end of the week, if the Senate can finish it. House
Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said that House leaders were
having internal conversations about it.
“We just need to make sure everybody’s there,” Scalise said.
It was unclear how Trump’s comments on the settlement would affect
Republicans’ votes on the immigration spending bill. In addition to
defending the settlement, he also praised the Jan. 6 defendants who
could get payouts, saying they had been subjected to “abuse.”
Friction between White House, Senate threatens other priorities
Even as Republican senators have strongly defended Trump's agenda, a
growing number of them have become frustrated with the president as
he ignores what they see as their political needs.
The Justice Department announced the settlement fund just as the
Senate had planned to move forward on the immigration spending bill,
giving Democrats an opportunity to offer amendments that could
divide Republicans in an election year. That came just as Sens. Bill
Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas both lost reelection
bids after Trump endorsed their primary opponents.
Trump also tapped real estate scion Bill Pulte, head of the Federal
Housing Finance Agency, to serve as acting director of national
intelligence on Tuesday, angering both Republicans and Democrats who
said Pulte has no clear national security credentials. The
appointment has complicated bipartisan negotiations on revising the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, which expires at the
end of next week.
At the same time, an increasing number of Republicans are voting
against Trump's war in Iran. The House voted on Wednesday to halt
U.S. military action there, following a Senate vote in May to
advance its own war powers resolution.
Thune said he wasn't yet sure whether Republicans would be united on
the immigration bill.
“We’ll find out," he told reporters.
___
Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Lisa Mascaro contributed
to this report.
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