(The Center Square) – All 10 Republicans and all four Democrats from North Carolina stayed with party lines in Tuesday’s 214-212 passage of the Secure America Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Second-term Republican President Donald Trump aimed on Wednesday to sign the $70 billion spending package securing funding through Sept. 30, 2029 – remainder of his term plus eight months – for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Throughout the chamber, no Republicans were against it and no Democrats for the spending measure.
U.S. Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said in part, “House Republicans ended over 100 days of Democrat obstruction by passing the Secure America Act and fully restoring ICE and Border Patrol funding, and I am proud to have assisted in the effort. With this funding, we will continue securing the homeland, enforcing immigration laws, and getting criminal illegal aliens off our streets and out of our country for good.”
Congress on Feb. 3 delivered passage of a $1.2 trillion funding package, giving appropriations for State-Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-HUD. Homeland Security had a two-week negotiation window on a continuing resolution that didn’t yield a deal by a Feb. 14 deadline
On March 26, Congress reached agreement for funding with exception of ICE and CBP. Tuesday marked the 116th day since negotiations failed in mid-February.
The proposal funds immigration enforcement and cooperation with state and local law enforcement with $31 billion for ICE; $13 billion for immigration enforcement activities at CBP; $2.5 billion for reimbursements to state and local governments participating in Homeland Security and border enforcement operations with federal law enforcement; and $350 million for the apprehension of criminal illegal immigrants in sanctuary jurisdictions.
Border security infrastructure, personnel and nonimmigration enforcement missions are also funded. There is $9.5 billion for nonimmigration functions of CBP; $7.4 billion for ICE, inclusive of $105 million specific to Homeland Security Investigations to conduct child sexual exploitation and abuse investigations; $3.4 billion for procurement and upgrades of what is deemed cutting-edge border surveillance and screening technology along American borders; and $2.5 billion for Homeland Security for unexpected and unplanned security-related expenses.
Rep. Deborah Ross, D-N.C., wrote in part on social media, “This egregious package fails to include any real reforms to rein in Trump’s lawless immigration policies. Instead of helping working families afford housing, groceries and healthcare, Republicans have chosen to spend billions more empowering a corrupt administration that repeatedly ignores the law and violates fundamental rights.”
The Center Square estimates “a minimum of 14 million illegal border crossers” during the four years of the Biden administration, a figure inclusive of 2 million gotaways. Gotaway means someone illegally entering the country detected by lawmen, like the Border Patrol or surveillance, that were not captured and disappeared into the country.
Homeland Security has trended in recent years of annually issuing 1.1 million new green cards. Naturalizations, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, in 2025 ranged between 30,000 and 88,000 monthly.
The U.S. Census Bureau, in its April estimation, said unauthorized migrants are included in estimates of the total foreign-born population. It also says it is not possible to tabulate separate estimates of unauthorized migrants or any other legal status category.
“For months, Democrats held critical DHS funding hostage in an effort to weaken the law enforcement agencies responsible for securing our border, enforcing our immigration laws, and protecting American families,” said Rep. Rev. Mark Harris, R-N.C. “At a time when our nation faces serious threats at home and abroad, playing political games with national security is unacceptable.
“After four years of open-border policies, ICE and CBP need the tools and resources to remove criminal illegal aliens, combat drug smuggling and human trafficking, and keep dangerous individuals out of our communities.”
Rep. Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., called the legislation an “out of touch effort.”
“There is not a single dollar in this bill that will help lower the cost of living,” Foushee wrote in part on social media. “With bills like this, Republicans are telling you they care more about attacking immigrants than actually delivering anything for the American people. Believe them.”
To enter America from another country, if not a U.S. citizen, a visa or some other travel authorization is required to be presented at a port of entry.
