Updated on: April 23, 2026 / 4:04 AM EDT
Washington — After an overnight series of roll-call votes, the Senate adopted a budget resolution early Thursday as Republicans move to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection without Democratic backing.
The resolution cleared the chamber 50-48 just after 3:30 a.m. Eastern following roughly five hours of voting. Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska broke with their party and opposed the measure. The resolution now goes to the House, a step required before lawmakers can draft and vote on final funding legislation. President Trump has set a June 1 deadline for final passage.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the party faces “a multistep process ahead,” but argued that Republicans intend to secure the border and prevent Democrats from defunding the agencies.
Republicans used the budget resolution to begin the reconciliation process, which allows certain budget-related measures to pass with a simple majority. GOP leaders say reconciliation is necessary to fund ICE and portions of CBP even without Democratic votes. The resolution authorizes the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees to draft bills that could increase spending by as much as $70 billion each to support ICE and parts of CBP; Republicans say that cap is intended to give committees flexibility, and the final bill is expected to total roughly $70 billion.
Before the final vote, the Senate held a lengthy “vote-a-rama” in which senators offered many amendments and forced repeated roll-call votes. Voting on a series of Democratic amendments — many aimed at cost-of-living priorities — began shortly after 9:30 p.m. ET.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer previewed Democrats’ strategy at a news conference, saying they would use the votes to put Republicans on record, especially on affordability. He accused Republicans of preparing to spend billions without restrictions and said Democrats wanted reforms and attention to everyday costs.
Democrats do not have the votes to block the GOP plan. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats, and while most legislation requires 60 votes to overcome filibusters, reconciliation permits passage with only a simple majority.
DHS funding has been a flashpoint since two deadly shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis in January, prompting Democratic demands for reforms as a condition for additional funding. The department was effectively shut down on Feb. 14 after negotiations failed to produce an agreement on reforms. Senate leaders subsequently funded most of DHS through regular appropriations but left out funding for ICE and some CBP elements.
House Republicans have not yet taken up the Senate-passed funding for the bulk of DHS and say they want assurances that ICE and CBP will be funded; they are awaiting the Senate’s reconciliation move. DHS remains shut down, though President Trump has ordered that employees be paid temporarily.
Thune said he hopes the House will act soon, noting agency officials warn funding could run out next month and urging prompt action to keep the agencies operating.
The effort hit a late snag when Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana pressed for changes, seeking inclusion of an election-related GOP bill known as the SAVE Act and several affordability provisions. Kennedy ultimately removed his hold and allowed the voting to proceed, warning this would be the last chance for a reconciliation bill. “This is the last train leaving the station,” he said, urging action on measures that would ease cost-of-living pressures for Americans.