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The House and Senate passed H.J.Res. 31 on Thursday to fund roughly 25% of the federal government, including the Department of Homeland Security, through Sept. 30. In addition to allowing DHS to increase the number of low-skilled guest workers through the H-2B visa program, the bill also reduces the number of detention beds used by ICE to detail criminal aliens and recent illegal border crossers and protects sponsors of child smuggling from deportation.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee has delayed a vote for the second time on Pres. Trump's nominee to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The President had nominated Ron Vitiello to the post last year, but the Senate Committee delayed the vote because of concerns brought to the Committee by the ICE officers union. Pres. Trump had to nominate Vitiello for a second time because of the new Congress starting last month.

As House and Senate negotiators continue to work out a compromise over funding the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the fiscal year, ICE officers say they're being left out of the discussions and warn of the Democrats proposal that would reduce the amount of detention space.

Federal authorities arrested 20 individuals this week in the first-ever crack down on business that help foreign women travel to the United States to give birth so their children can receive automatic U.S. citizenship. The individuals were charged with conspiracy, visa fraud and money laundering.