Trump signs bill giving nearly $70B to his immigration enforcement agenda through end of his term

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump signed a bill into law that gives his immigration and deportation agenda a boost of about $70 billion for the rest of his time in the White House.

The bill allocates $38 billion to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and $26 billion to the Border Patrol. According to the White House, an additional $5 billion will cover unexpected costs.

Trump signed the legislation in the Oval Office a day after House Republicans approved the measure by a vote of 214 to 212, despite Democratic objections. His signing ended a nearly six-month battle over Department of Homeland Security funding that began with the January shootings of two U.S. citizens, Alex Peretti and Renee Judd, during federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis.

Democrats began demanding changes to immigration enforcement after the shooting, creating a stalemate — and the creation of the longest-running agency in history — that ultimately prompted Republicans to go it alone on funding.

The agencies will be funded over the next three years. The new law front-loads routine annual funding, ensuring a nearly uninterrupted flow of money as the Trump administration seeks to deport about 1 million people annually.

The legislation snubbed more than $1 billion for White House security, including Trump’s new ballroom and a $1.8 billion fund to compensate his allies who claim to be victims of political persecution. Both proposals became politically toxic and were scrapped.

The bill, as passed, focused exclusively on immigration enforcement, a topic that Republicans have treated as a crucial issue between the two major political parties and one that the GOP hopes will lead it to victory in the November midterm elections.