US House advances $70 billion immigration enforcement bill

The US Congress moves one step closer to ending a months-long stalemate over funding for immigration enforcement, as Republicans in the House of Representatives voted along party lines to open debate on a $70 billion bill.

The House is expected to vote on passing the measure later today, which would send the legislation to the White House for US President Donald Trump’s signature. The Senate passed the bill early Friday morning, also along party lines.

The bill would fund US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three years, putting it beyond the reach of partisan disagreements in Congress.

Democrats refused to back funding for immigration enforcement after agents killed two US citizens in Minneapolis in January. That disrupted funding for the Department of Homeland Security, leading to lengthy airport-security lines, until lawmakers agreed in April to fund portions of the sprawling department not involved in Trump’s immigration crackdown. The stalemate also stalled security funding for synagogues and other religious nonprofits.

Trump repeatedly upended Republicans’ efforts to pass the legislation in the Senate with his support for $1 billion toward security for his White House ballroom and a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund that could compensate his political allies for allegations that the government mistreated them.

The ballroom funding was removed from the bill, and Republicans defeated amendments to impose restrictions on the anti-weaponization fund, which the administration says will no longer go forward.