US Senate Approves Rp1.260 Trillion ICE Budget to Strengthen Border Patrol

JAKARTA - The Republican-controlled US Senate has approved a bill (RUU) that allocates funds of 70 billion US dollars (around Rp. 1,260 trillion) for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.

As reported by ANTARA from Sputnik, Friday, June 5, as many as 52 senators voted in favor, while 47 senators rejected the bill.

The legislative package will then be discussed in the House of Representatives. If approved, the funds will be allocated to the US Department of Homeland Security for the 2026 to 2035 fiscal years.

Funding for the two agencies has been delayed since mid-February after the US Congress failed to reach a budget agreement amid controversy over the actions of ICE officers.

In early January, an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparked protests. An ICE agent shot a female driver who refused to stop and continued driving even though the officer was in front of her.

Later, a Border Patrol officer also shot a gunman. Both victims were reported dead.

State officials from the Democratic Party consider the actions of the federal agents to be illegal.

Meanwhile, the Republican Party accused local authorities and law enforcement officials of deliberately not cooperating in immigration enforcement operations and provoking residents, thus complicating the situation.