The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that allocates an additional 70 billion dollars for the Department of Homeland Security, aimed at enforcing immigration laws. The vote was 52 in favor and 47 against, without the support of the Democrats.
The funding will support the deportation campaign of migrants initiated by President Trump. The bill has been sent to the House of Representatives for final review, but discussions are not expected to take place before next week.
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski voted against the bill, criticizing the funding allocation process, which bypassed bipartisan support. Republican leader John Thune stated that the 1.8 billion dollar fund aimed at ‘combating the instrumentalization of power’ is a ‘settled issue’, despite objections from the Democrats. The bill was marked by intense debates, including proposals to ban the use of federal funds for building a ballroom at the White House, which were not approved.