Trump Signs $70 Billion Secure America Act, Securing ICE and Border Patrol Funding Through 2029

President Donald Trump signed the $70 billion Secure America Act into law on Wednesday, securing uninterrupted funding for federal immigration enforcement through the remainder of his term. Flanked by Republican congressional leaders in the Oval Office, Trump celebrated the passage of the package, which guarantees financial backing for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through September 2029. The signing effectively ends a bitter, months-long partisan standoff that had paralyzed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).[1][2]

The legislation allocates $38 billion directly to ICE and $26 billion to CBP, with an additional $5 billion reserved for the DHS to cover unforeseen operational costs. By front-loading routine annual appropriations, the law ensures a steady flow of capital for the administration's stated goal of deporting approximately one million people per year. The package supplements the $140 billion the agencies previously received under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last July.[2][4]

"This morning I'm thrilled to sign the Secure America Act to immediately and fully fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of my term, so we won't have that to be talking about anymore," Trump said during the signing ceremony. He praised ICE and Border Patrol agents as "heroes" and asserted that the funding is crucial for combating child exploitation, dismantling criminal cartels, and restoring domestic law and order.[1][2]

The bill's passage concludes a historic 75-day partial shutdown of the DHS, the longest such agency closure in U.S. history. The funding impasse began in January following the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were killed by federal agents during an intensive immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The incident prompted swift backlash from Democratic lawmakers, who refused to authorize further DHS funding without strict new operational guardrails.[2][5]

Following the Minneapolis shootings, Democrats demanded that federal immigration officers adhere to the same standards as other law enforcement agencies. Their proposed reforms included mandatory body cameras, requirements to obtain judicial warrants before entering private homes, and a prohibition on agents wearing masks that obscure their identities. When negotiations over these restrictions broke down, Republican lawmakers opted to draft their own funding vehicle devoid of any new constraints.[3]

The resulting Secure America Act moved through Congress on strictly partisan lines. The Senate approved the measure late last week following an exhausting 18-hour marathon voting series. On Tuesday evening, the House of Representatives pushed the package across the finish line with a narrow 214-212 vote. Kevin Kiley, an independent who typically aligns with Republicans, joined all House Democrats in voting against the measure.[1][2]

Democratic leaders fiercely condemned the final legislation. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries characterized the package as a "$70 billion blank check" handed to a "violent mass deportation machine." Jeffries and other critics argued that granting multi-year funding without oversight or accountability measures effectively rewards the agencies for the very operational overreach that triggered the shutdown in the first place.[2][4]

Despite the partisan friction, the final text of the Secure America Act was stripped of several highly controversial riders that had threatened to derail the bill entirely. Republican negotiators scrapped a proposed $1 billion allocation for White House security upgrades—which included funding for a new presidential ballroom—as well as a $1.8 billion fund designed to compensate political allies who claimed to be victims of political prosecution.

With those politically toxic elements removed, the legislation focused exclusively on border security and interior enforcement. The White House stated that the resources will be deployed to secure the border, stop the flow of deadly drugs, and enforce the nation's immigration laws. For the administration, the bill represents a major legislative victory, insulating its core domestic policy agenda from future congressional funding battles.[2]

As the DHS resumes full operations, government and industry leaders are already preparing to implement the influx of capital. The funding is expected to drive significant investments in border security technology, screening infrastructure, and expanded detention facilities. With the financial runway now clear through 2029, the administration faces no further legislative hurdles to executing its expansive immigration enforcement strategy.