The Senate will not send a Republican-led $72 billion reconciliation bill to fund federal immigration enforcement by President Donald Trump’s deadline.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced Thursday that the chamber will head to their Memorial Day recess without passing the reconciliation package, which Trump wanted on his desk by June 1, Thune’s office confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation. Republicans are currently battling over a fund that could pay people alleging the legal system was “weaponized” against them; some Republicans have expressed concern that the fund will be used by Trump and his allies.
The package would provide over $30.73 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), $22.57 billion to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and $2.5 billion in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations through 2029. Senate Republicans drafted the legislation in response to the 76-day shutdown of DHS after Democrats refused to fund the agency following high-profile shootings involving immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in January. (RELATED: Trump Turns Up Heat On John Thune, Demands Senate Leader Fire Parliamentarian)
CBP/ICE funding bill will not be on President Trump’s desk by June 1st, as he had said he wanted.
Senate going home. Bad vibes on the Hill today. https://t.co/LP7rMRClMX
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 21, 2026
On the fund, Thune and other Republicans, including Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, expressed skepticism about how the funds would be used. The fund is part of a settlement agreement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to end a civil lawsuit filed in January over the leak of his tax returns.
Thune told reporters Thursday that the Senate has not decided how to move forward with the fund, stating that one option is to place guardrails on it. He also said they need to get “clarity” on how the fund will work.
“That would be one option, and so we’re obviously working with, consulting with our members, and obviously the Justice Department, the administration is going to come up with some suggestions and ideas,” Thune said.
Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Democratic New York Rep. Tom Suozzi introduced legislation Thursday that would prohibit the use of taxpayer money to pay for the fund. Suozzi told the DCNF that this slush fund is “unacceptable.”
“This is a bipartisan bill to block the President’s $1.7 billion slush fund to pay off January 6th criminals and other maladjusted minions! To allow it to continue would set a dangerous precedent,” Suozzi said. “Costs are skyrocketing. Gas, groceries, utilities, healthcare—everything costs more! Instead of fixing those problems, the President seems fixated going around the Congress to settle personal scores and making Americans pay for it. I join Congressman Fitzpatrick in saying ‘this is unacceptable!”
Trump also wanted to use the spending package to set aside $1 billion for Secret Service security enhancements during the White House ballroom construction. However, the Senate was expected not to provide the funds for the ballroom after Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough struck it down for violating the Byrd Rule in a Saturday ruling.
MacDonough also struck down provisions regarding funding for ICE, CBP and DHS in a Friday ruling.
The House may also punt the reconciliation vote until after the Memorial Day recess.
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