The U.S. Senate passed legislation to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies early Friday after weeks of delays and backlash.
Senators voted 52-47 to approve $70 billion to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for the next three years. New Mexico’s Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan voted against the funding.
Heinrich issued a statement after the legislation passed, calling out an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that threatened to derail the bill.
“While you’re paying higher costs on everything from gas to groceries, Senate Republicans are once again using your taxpayer dollars to fund a lawless ICE and protect Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund for cop-beating insurrectionists,” said Heinrich. “Throughout this budget process, I fought for amendments to support working families, ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, and help lower everyday costs. Senate Republicans rejected those efforts at every turn, making clear that they would rather fight harder for Trump’s corrupt vanity projects than deliver relief for the American people.”
Lujan also spoke out against the bill, calling out ICE and CBP for its alleged actions.
“Handing billions to ICE and CBP with no reforms, accountability, or oversight is not what New Mexicans and Americans need. President Trump and Stephen Miller’s out-of-control ICE and CBP have killed two American citizens, and now Republicans are rewarding them with billions more while struggling families get left behind,” Lujan said. “Throughout this process, I fought to lower costs, support families, and push for meaningful accountability at ICE and CBP. My Republican colleagues chose to protect President Trump’s criminal slush fund over hardworking Americans. This is a betrayal of New Mexico families.”
The funding bill now heads to the U.S. House, where at least one representative from New Mexico – Teresa Leger Fernandez – is standing firm on opposing it.