President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law the Secure America Act, a Republican-led measure that provides long-term funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol through 2029.
The legislation marks a significant victory for the Trump administration and congressional Republicans. A day earlier, the House of Representatives narrowly approved the nearly $70 billion reconciliation package by a vote of 214-212, ending weeks of delays and negotiations that had kept the bill stalled in the Senate.
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The measure is aimed at strengthening border security operations and ensuring sustained funding for immigration enforcement agencies over the next several years. Despite strong backing from Republican lawmakers, the bill faced opposition from Democrats and a small number of Republicans.
According to reports, Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) broke ranks with his party and voted against the legislation, joining Democrats in opposing the measure.
The Secure America Act: What is it? Everything we are aware of regarding the new law
The law allots roughly $26 billion for Customs and Border Protection and $38 billion for ICE, with an extra $5 billion set aside for unforeseen costs. It is in favour of hiring more agents, deporting more people who are in the country illegally, and improving border security infrastructure. By securing financial resources until the end of Trump's current term, this financing supplements earlier appropriations and shields the agency from future budget battles.
For his second term, President Trump has made mass deportations and stricter border enforcement his top priorities. According to Republican leaders, the bill accomplishes these goals by stopping what they call Democratic attempts to defund the agencies and giving them the tools they need to carry out large-scale enforcement operations.
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According to Senator Lindsey Graham, a new law completely supports ICE and the Border Patrol.
“It fully funds Border Patrol and ICE until the end of Trump's presidency to facilitate extensive enforcement activities that Democrats were obstructing,” said Graham (R-SC), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and a key architect and supporter of the legislation.
"Republicans are carrying out an urgent task that our Democrat colleagues are attempting to stop us from carrying out."
When Graham proposed the bill in April 2026, he said, "That something is simple: fully fund Border Patrol and ICE at a time of great threat to the United States."
Democrats criticise the Secure America Act
The top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chastised Republicans for authorising yet another sizable blank check for ICE and Border Patrol without any changes or even basic protections. She has repeatedly called these organisations "out-of-control" and "terrorising people, including American citizens."
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