House passes $150 BILLION in immigration enforcement funding by one vote

“We’re going to flood the system with warrants for criminal illegal immigration [sic] that are in county jails, they can ignore a detainer, but they cannot ignore a criminal arrest warrant.”

That’s United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli describing a pilot task force program to enforce immigration laws in sanctuary states. After four years of policies to subvert immigration limits, the political will to remove people who should not be in the country is ascendant. Political will, however, must be matched by the power of the purse. This week, with your indispensable collaboration, we notched a major step victory in that campaign.

Reconciliation came to the House this week

The House passed a historic immigration enforcement funding package this week. Don’t take our word for it. Here is what one opposition group is saying:

“Should these funds be appropriated by Congress, over the next few years ICE could ramp up mass deportation operations to a level never before seen in American history, making ICE the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the entire federal government, with an army of officers fanning out into communities to carry out enormous arrest operations…stand up new detention centers and massively ramp up deportation flights….

“….ICE would be given $45 billion to spend on detention through September 30, 2029. This would be a staggering 365% increase on an annual basis over ICE’s current $3.4 billion detention budget….

“….The budget would also provide ICE $14.4 billion for transportation and removal operations, an astronomic 500% annual increase from the current $721 million provided in the current budget.”

The Reconciliation process gave the House a chance to put together a budget package that can pass through the Senate with a simple majority (as opposed to the usual 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster). The full package covers a wide range of issues that NumbersUSA takes no position on. Our focus is on the immigration provisions, which are a major part of the bill. After months of work, the final bill came to a vote this week with $150 BILLION in immigration enforcement funding hanging in the balance, including:

• $45 BILLION for ICE detention
• $14 BILLION for transportation and removal operations, including Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) transportation, and ensuring departure of aliens
• $8 BILLION for hiring new ICE agents
• $1.25 BILLION for hiring immigration judges, support staff, expanding courtroom capacity and infrastructure
• $1.3 BILLION for attorneys and support staff to prosecute immigration crimes
• 950 Million for compensation to states/localities for incarcerating illegal aliens
• 650 Million to fund 287(g)

The House of Representatives worked through the witching hours after midnight Thursday to pass the Reconciliation package by a single vote, 215-214.

NumbersUSA identified and endorsed the must-pass funding early in the process. We scored key votes for our Grade Cards, and worked the rooms in Washington to prioritize the immigration funding.

“Most importantly,” says Michael Hough, NumbersUSA Director of Federal Government Relations, “advocates in key voting districts answered NumbersUSA’s calls to action” to encourage wavering Representatives to prioritize immigration enforcement.

“NumbersUSA was cited repeatedly by the White House, the Speaker and Republican leadership in their successful effort to usher the bill through the House.”

Reconciliation is coming to the Senate

The margin for error in the House was one vote. Even with the advantages of the Reconciliation process (i.e. a simple majority will pass the bill), the challenge in the Senate will not be much easier.