President Donald Trump on Wednesday told congressional Republicans to use the budget reconciliation process to restore funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, a move that would let the GOP bypass Senate Democrats entirely.
“We are going to work as fast, and as focused, as possible to replenish funding for our Border and ICE Agents, and the Radical Left Democrats won’t be able to stop us,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We will not allow them to hurt the families of these Great Patriots by defunding them. I am asking that the Bill be on my desk NO LATER than June 1st.”
“Our Law Enforcement Officers and the American People should not have to wait until the Democrats see reason or, learn the hard way through the Polls,” he continued. “Hopefully, everyone will be voting REPUBLICAN for the Midterms. Through simple unification, Republicans can do this without the Democrats!”
Budget reconciliation allows legislation to clear the Senate with a simple majority, sidestepping the 60-vote filibuster threshold that Democrats have used to block DHS funding bills. The process carries strict procedural limits on what provisions can be included.
The push comes after weeks of deadlock over how to keep ICE and Border Patrol funded. Last week, the Senate passed a stopgap measure that did not include funding for those two agencies. The House, meanwhile, passed a separate 60-day extension that would keep DHS afloat through May 22.
Thune and other senior Senate Republicans have warned against eliminating the filibuster, arguing it could be weaponized by Democrats if they regain the majority. Trump’s June 1 deadline adds pressure to a leadership team still working through the mechanics of which legislative path is viable.
