The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a Senate-backed budget resolution, initiating a Republican strategy to secure funding for federal immigration agencies through the remainder of President Trump’s term without Democratic support.

Funding Immigration Agencies

The Senate passed the budget framework the previous week, aiming to meet a June deadline to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol. This action is intended to end the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which began in February.

The resolution passed the House with a vote of 215 to 211, directing committees to draft legislation allocating approximately $70 billion to ICE and the Border Patrol. Lawmakers still need to approve the final bills in both chambers.

DHS Funding and Security Concerns

Republicans intend to fund other DHS components separately. The urgency to fully fund DHS has increased following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, raising national security concerns.

Democratic Opposition and Alternative Plans

Democrats argue that most of DHS could be funded immediately if House Republican leaders allowed a vote on bipartisan legislation passed by the Senate in March. A memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) warned that DHS will soon exhaust critical operating funds, potentially impacting essential personnel and operations.

President Trump had instructed the department to identify available funds to pay personnel during the shutdown, but the OMB memo indicated that employee pay would be jeopardized starting in May.

Internal Disputes and Reconciliation

The House vote faced internal Republican disagreements, initially anticipated to be a swift process but prolonged by a debate over an unrelated farm bill. Democrats have consistently refused to fund ICE and the Border Patrol without accompanying reforms.

A rift between House and Senate Republicans over separating funding for DHS components further delayed progress. The Senate approved a measure in late March to fund most of DHS, excluding ICE and the Border Patrol, planning to fund immigration enforcement through budget reconciliation.

Republicans are utilizing budget reconciliation, a process that bypasses the need for Democratic support, to secure funding. Senate Majority Leader John Thune stated that Democrats forced Republicans to use this method to ensure funding for these agencies.

Prioritizing Reconciliation

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the lower chamber would prioritize the reconciliation measure before considering the Senate’s March bill, which funds the remainder of DHS, including the TSA, Secret Service, Coast Guard, and FEMA. Johnson dismissed suggestions of discord, emphasizing unity between House Republicans, Senate Republicans, and the White House.