Senate Passes $70 Billion Immigration Enforcement Package After Marathon Overnight Session

Senate Republicans overcame deep internal divisions early Friday to pass a sweeping $70 billion immigration enforcement package, delivering President Donald Trump a major legislative victory after weeks of stalled negotiations and intra-party feuding over a controversial Justice Department compensation fund.

The final vote was 52-47, with only Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski breaking ranks. The bill funds Immigration and Customs Enforcement and border patrol operations through the remainder of Trump’s current term, shielding those agencies from the government shutdown battles that have periodically paralyzed federal agencies in recent years.

Eighteen Hours of Voting

The Senate’s vote-a-rama lasted a grueling 18 consecutive hours, punctuated by repeated attempts from Democrats to eliminate the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that Trump administration officials had defended as compensation for alleged victims of federal overreach. Democrats argued the fund could ultimately reward rioters who attacked police officers during the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers earlier in the week that the administration was “not moving forward with the fund, period.” But President Trump himself was far less definitive when pressed by reporters Wednesday.

“I’d have to ask the lawyers, I don’t know,” Trump told CNN. “As far as I’m concerned, it was a beautiful thing.”

The uncertainty frustrated Republican holdouts, including Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who threatened as recently as Thursday to vote against the entire immigration package if the bill did not include explicit language killing the fund. Tillis ultimately voted yes on final passage after hours of leadership arm-twisting.

GOP Rebellion Squashed

Perhaps the most dramatic moment came from Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who had already lost his primary election after public clashes with Trump over the fund. Cassidy ultimately voted with leadership, but submitted a scathing court brief alongside Democratic Senator Cory Booker in separate litigation challenging the fund.

“The Anti-Weaponization Fund presents a threat to our constitutional democracy that this Court has never before been asked to confront,” the senators wrote in the friend-of-the-court brief. They called the administration’s approach “a scheme deliberately designed to recast insurrectionists—including those who perpetrated violence against law enforcement officers—as victims.”

Midterm Implications

Some Republicans privately acknowledge the immigration bill could represent Trump’s last major legislative win before the November midterm elections, where the party is defending razor-thin Senate majorities. Several GOP senators facing difficult reelection races voted yes despite the political risk.

The bill now moves to the House, where its fate is uncertain. House Republican leaders have signaled support, but conservative members have previously demanded even stricter enforcement measures as the price for their votes.

FISA Fight Not Resolved

In a separate procedural vote early Friday, seven Senate Republicans joined nearly all Democrats to block consideration of a bill reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Democrats refused to advance the spy powers measure after Trump appointed Bill Pulte—a housing official with no national security background—as acting director of national intelligence.

The FISA reauthorization now faces an uncertain path, with the current authority set to expire in coming weeks.