The U.S. Senate passed legislation providing the Department of Homeland Security approximately $70 billion in additional funding for immigration enforcement, sending the bill to the House.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement received roughly $9.4 billion in fiscal year 2024 appropriations, while Customs and Border Protection received approximately $19.8 billion.
U.S. Border Patrol recorded about 2.05 million Southwest border encounters in fiscal year 2023, declining to roughly 1.53 million in fiscal year 2024.
Supporters argue increased funding is necessary to expand detention capacity, hire agents, and deter unlawful crossings; critics argue funds would be better directed to immigration judges, with the courts facing a backlog exceeding 3 million pending cases.
Appropriations bills require a simple majority in both chambers of Congress and the president's signature, though Senate budget rules can require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster on non-reconciliation measures.