Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chairman of the Democratic Caucus, speaks during a press conference with House Democratic leadership at the U.S. Capitol on January 10, 2023, in Washington, DC.
Sarah Silbiger | Reuters
A months-long stalemate over immigration enforcement could end on Tuesday, as the U.S. House of Representatives is poised to vote on a $70 billion funding package despite Democrats’ vows to fight back. It’s a big test for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is trying to solidify one of President Donald Trump’s top domestic priorities.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, called the package “an unconditional $70 billion blank check for ICE and border security.”
“This comes after Republicans have already cut health care and food assistance and already given $140 billion to ICE in an ugly bill,” Aguilar said at a news conference Tuesday, referring to the Republicans’ 2025 tax and spending package, commonly known as the “big, beautiful bill.” “Moreover, this does nothing to help Americans with their daily living expenses.”
The package, which has broad support among Republican congressional leaders, would provide funding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, both of which are subordinate to the Department of Homeland Security and were left out of previous spending bills over Democratic opposition. The $70 billion would last until the end of President Trump’s term. And it could end a long debate over immigration enforcement policies that began in January after federal law enforcement officers killed two Americans in Minneapolis as part of a crackdown on immigration and led to a government shutdown.
President Trump had called for the bill to be tabled by June 1. The bill passed the Senate last Friday on a 52-47 vote with no Democratic support.
The House is expected to take an initial procedural vote in the early afternoon, followed by a final vote later Tuesday. But even though approval requires only a simple majority vote, the package’s fate is by no means certain. Mr. Johnson has struggled to keep pace with Republicans as right-wing lawmakers say the measures do not go far enough and some moderates have expressed concerns about immigration enforcement practices ahead of a tough election in November.
According to Politico, Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy told House leadership that he had not made a decision. Also, Rep. Kevin Kiley, who switched his party affiliation from Republican to independent in March but remains active with the Republican Party, said he opposes the package, which does not include changes to immigration enforcement.
Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House and can afford to lose a few votes if Democrats unite in opposition.
Passing immigration relief would be a key hurdle for Mr. Johnson to clear as he struggles to get other Trump priorities above the finish line as Congress winds down until the 2026 midterm elections.
Johnson met with President Trump on Tuesday about funding for ICE and CBP, as well as efforts to expand parts of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 that allow the government to collect communications of people outside the United States, including when they interact with Americans.
Section 702 of the law is scheduled to expire on June 12 unless extended by Congress. Privacy hawks on both sides of the aisle are pushing for changes to policies that protect Americans from government overreach, meaning Mr. Johnson will need to rely to some extent on Democratic support to extend beyond the finish line. FISA Section 702 has traditionally had both supporters and opponents in each political party.
Meanwhile, Democrats are threatening to withhold support for President Trump’s nomination of Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence. Pruitt has no prior intelligence experience and has signaled a desire to use his position to go after President Trump’s enemies.
“Negotiations before President Trump’s announcement on Bill Pulte were already in a very delicate situation,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said at a press conference Monday. “And Donald Trump, as he often does, throws a grenade into delicate negotiations by elevating Bill Peult to director of national intelligence.”
Asked if he would allow FISA to expire, Jeffries said talks are continuing, “but it’s clear that in order to have good faith negotiations, the effort to elevate Bill Peult to acting director of national intelligence must be immediately rescinded. And we’ll see what happens over the weekend.”
Some Republicans have called on Trump to remove Pruitt as acting director of national intelligence.
“FISA has provided us with over 50% of our most sensitive information and has enabled the United States to thwart multiple terrorist attacks,” moderate Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska), who is retiring at the end of this Congress, posted on X on Monday. “Letting FISA lapse reflects a nation paralyzed by hyperpartisanship and dysfunction. The President could help by canceling his plan to install Bill Pulte as Acting DNI.”
