Senate Passes $70B Immigration Bill After Fight Over Trump-Linked Settlement Fund

The Senate ended months of gridlock early on June 5, passing a $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement after an overnight fight over an unrelated payout fund tied to President Trump.

What You Should Know

Senators voted 52-47 to approve roughly $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through the end of Trump’s term, according to NPR. The vote capped weeks of Democratic-led delays that began after the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents in January.

The Pressure Point

The fight nearly derailed the bill when Republicans clashed over a separate $1.776 billion settlement fund created after Trump sued the IRS over leaked tax returns, NPR reported. The fund compensates people who say they were targeted by government “weaponization.” Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy tried to redirect the money to a Justice Department anti-fraud account instead, but the amendment failed even with more than 10 Republican votes.

The Receipts

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans were “leaving taxpayers to rely on nothing more than a promise from Donald Trump’s personal fixer,” according to NPR’s reporting. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had said earlier in the week the fund would not move forward, even as Trump told reporters the settlement was “very important” and that he didn’t know whether it was “dead or on hold.”

What Happens Next

The bill now heads to the House, which is expected to take it up in the days following Senate passage. The settlement fund’s fate remains unresolved even after the immigration bill cleared, leaving the underlying dispute over Trump-linked payouts for Republicans to navigate in an election year.

References: NPR | PBS NewsHour | Newsweek