Senate passes $70 billion immigration bill with no limits to Trump’s settlement fundExBulletin

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., walks to the House floor during votes on the immigration enforcement funding package, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 4, 2026. J. Scott Applewhite/AP .

. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed legislation to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies early Friday morning, after weeks of delays and fierce backlash against an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that threatened to derail the bill.

Senators voted 52-47 in favor of $70 billion in legislation to fund Immigration, Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for the next three years until Trump’s term ends. The final vote came just before 5 a.m., after Republicans narrowly defeated several attempts by Democrats and Republicans to add language to the bill that would permanently ban Trump’s settlement fund for political allies who believe they have been politically persecuted.

Republicans cleared a major hurdle overnight by rejecting an amendment proposed by one of their own members, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, that would have redirected payments from the deal to law enforcement members injured in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

The amendments were a test of party unity that complicated what should have been an easy vote for Republicans who wanted to stay focused on immigration enforcement in an election year. Instead, they spent almost an entire day haggling among themselves over whether to block the settlement fund, even after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said earlier this week that the fund would not move forward.

“This would have been done several hours ago if we didn’t have to deal with some issues with the fund,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said shortly before midnight.

Thune himself criticized the judgment fund, which was part of a settlement that resolved Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns and angered many of his Republican colleagues. But he has been pressing Republican senators for weeks to keep the bill focused on funding for Immigration, Customs and Border Patrol, which Democrats have blocked since early this year, and to avoid adding new provisions that could complicate its passage in the House.

Yet a group of Republican senators lobbied all day and night to block payments from the deal through legislation. The effort came after Trump raised fresh doubts about the deal’s future Wednesday afternoon — just after the Senate voted to open debate on the immigration bill — when he told reporters the deal was “very important” and said “I don’t know” whether it is dead or pending.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., pauses to answer questions from reporters before the vote on the immigration enforcement funding package, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 4, 2026. J. Scott Applewhite/AP .

. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

“I should ask the lawyers,” he said.

Senators reject several attempts to ban the settlement fund

Thursday morning’s first vote, a Democratic effort to ban the settlement, remained open for several hours as three senators, including Cassidy, decided whether to support it. The Democratic motion was narrowly defeated when Cassidy ultimately voted against it and the other two Republican senators — Jon Husted of Ohio and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, both up for re-election this year — voted for it.

The Senate then rejected a second amendment from Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina that also would have banned the settlement fund but moved the money to a separate anti-fraud fund within the Justice Department. Most Democrats voted against the amendment, ensuring its defeat, but more than 10 Republicans supported it.

Tillis said the fund constitutes a political liability for the party.

“If Blanche says this is largely ineffective, why not take advantage of this moment to codify that?” Tillis said. “Otherwise, you’re exposing every one of our members in cycle to having to deal with this between now and Election Day, and that makes no sense for something that the DOJ says isn’t going forward.”

Cassidy’s amendment to compensate injured police officers was a harsh rebuke, as payments from the Trump fund could have potentially gone to Trump supporters who beat police and attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Despite Blanche’s comments, Cassidy said the fund is still part of an active settlement and “absolutely can be used.”

The Senate rejected several other Democratic efforts to block or limit the fund, including amendments to bar payments to Jan. 6 defendants who injured law enforcement officers.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans are now “letting taxpayers rely on nothing more than a promise from Donald Trump’s personal fixer.” It’s not a responsibility. It’s permission.”

ICE and Border Patrol money delayed for months

Passage of the roughly $70 billion bill to fund ICE and the Border Patrol would end a blockade imposed by Democrats who demanded policy changes after the fatal shooting of two protesters by federal agents in January. The bill would fund the agencies for three years, until Trump’s term ends.

Senate Republicans used a complicated procedural maneuver to bypass the filibuster and pass the budget bill without a Democratic vote. But it took weeks to get the bill to the Senate floor as Republicans overcame various obstacles created by Trump and the White House — including a $1 billion proposal for Trump’s White House and ballroom security that they ultimately abandoned and the fierce bipartisan backlash against the settlement fund.

Democrats say any Department of Homeland Security funding bill would have to impose restrictions on federal immigration authorities, including better identification of federal agents and increased use of court warrants, among other demands.

After federal agents fatally shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Trump agreed to a Democratic demand to separate the Homeland Security bill from a broader spending measure that became law. But bipartisan negotiations went nowhere, and funding for the department was cut off in mid-February, with no agreement on changes to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.

Congress finally funded the rest of the Department of Homeland Security in late April with Democratic support, but ICE and the Border Patrol remained without regular funding.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos