Washington, D.C. — Senate Republicans’ newly released budget resolution would direct roughly $70 billion toward immigration enforcement agencies while providing zero relief for American families facing high costs for health care, housing, and groceries, according to a new analysis from the Center for American Progress.
Congressional Republicans are using the reconciliation process to bypass a potential filibuster and pass legislation on a partisan basis. The resolution prioritizes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through fiscal year 2029. A reconciliation bill stemming from this budget resolution is expected to move forward in the coming weeks. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) still has tens of billions of dollars in previously allocated funds that remain unobligated.
“Congressional Republicans are choosing to spend billions on DHS to continue to fund human rights violations instead of doing anything to help struggling Americans,” said Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at the Center for American Progress. “Budget decisions are about priorities. This resolution shows exactly who they’re willing to spend on and who they’re willing to leave behind.”
CAP’s analysis finds:
- Massive enforcement funding with broad deficit authority: The resolution allows up to $70 billion in deficit increases each for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, creating a potential ceiling of $140 billion, while current plans indicate roughly $70 billion in new DHS spending.
- No investment in lowering everyday costs for families: Despite authorizing tens of billions in new spending for DHS, the proposal includes $0 to lower health care costs, reduce grocery prices, or ease housing expenses.
- New funding layered on top of unused resources: DHS is set to receive additional funding even though it still holds tens of billions in unobligated funds from legislation enacted just nine months ago.
- Deficit spending with minimal guardrails: By going it alone in reconciliation, this funding is likely to have significantly less oversight and fewer constraints than typical DHS funding.
Read the analysis: “Trump and Congressional Republicans’ Plan To Pump More Money Into ICE and Border Patrol Is a Missed Opportunity To Help Americans” by Bobby Kogan
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Christian Unkenholz at [email protected].