The Trump administration is killing plans for a $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund after Republican resistance to the initiative threatened a key immigration enforcement bill from moving forward.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, on April 14.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told the House Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, “we’re not moving forward with the fund, period,” multiple outlets reported.
The “anti-weaponization” fund has threatened to derail the GOP’s bill that directs billions to Trump’s immigration priorities, as many Republicans are critical of the fund and were expected to join with Democrats to pass amendments that would restrict or kill it.
Reports emerged Monday suggesting the Justice Department was going to pause the fund indefinitely in order to quell Republicans’ concerns and save the immigration enforcement bill, but the agency only said it was complying with a recent court order that blocks the fund more temporarily—leaving it unclear whether the fund was actually being killed.
