The United States Senate passed a budget resolution on Apr. 23, marking the beginning of the budget reconciliation process aimed at funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for at least the remainder of the Trump administration.
This move comes as the House of Representatives is expected to consider its own version of the resolution. The Senate action is seen as a response to ongoing disagreements over appropriations, particularly with Democrats.
A statement from Senate Republicans said, “There’s a pretty obvious reality here: Democrats are way more focused on keeping illegal immigrants here in the United States than they are on keeping our communities safe.” The statement continued, “But today, their obstruction is nearing an end. This is not the ideal way to fully fund ICE or Customs and Border Protection, but Democrats walked away from the appropriations deal that we negotiated. This vote gets us close to making sure these agencies have the resources they need so we can deliver the rule of law and security Americans overwhelmingly voted for in 2024.”
According to data cited in the release, under previous immigration policies there were more than 11 million encounters with illegal immigrants nationwide, including about 8 million at the southern border. Over four million were released into the United States during that period. Under current policies, daily apprehensions have dropped by 95 percent compared to earlier averages; CBP recorded approximately 237,538 encounters at the southern border in 2025—significantly lower than figures reported in previous years.
The Senate’s passage follows its recent vote providing funding for other Department of Homeland Security agencies such as TSA, Coast Guard, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and FEMA.
Senator Kevin Cramer assists North Dakotans with federal agencies to resolve issues and provide information according to his official website. Cramer served three terms as North Dakota’s at-large representative before joining the Senate according to his official website, where he now serves on committees including Environment and Public Works; Veterans’ Affairs; and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs according to his official website. He grew up in Kindred, North Dakota according to his official website, earned degrees from Concordia College and University of Mary according to his official website, raised five children with his wife Kris—and has eight grandchildren according to his official website.
