June 05, 2026
The US Senate handed President Donald Trump a victory early Friday morning, passing a bill that would provide the Department of Homeland Security with an additional $70 billion for immigration enforcement and sending it to the House of Representatives for final consideration.
The Senate voted 52-47 to approve the legislation, with no support from Democrats and no provision to ban a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponisation" fund that could compensate Trump's political allies for allegations that the government mistreated them. One Republican voted against the bill.
Senate Republican Leader John Thune said the fund was a "settled issue," citing acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's congressional testimony this week that the Department of Justice would not move forward with it, though Democrats have said his word was insufficient.
Trump subsequently said he intended to nominate Blanche to lead the Justice Department - an action that would require Senate confirmation. Thune has indicated that it could be an uphill battle to get such a nomination approved in the Senate.
