JUST IN: House Passes DHS Funding Bill After Intense ICE Fight — Democrats Split, Trump Administration at Center of Battle WASHINGTON — January 25, 2026 In a sharply contested vote on Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill that includes approximately $10 billion in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), overcoming strong objections from many Democratic lawmakers and sending the measure to the Senate.
The final vote was 220–207, with seven House Democrats breaking with their party to support the measure alongside most Republicans. Contrary to circulating claims on social media and unverified commentary, the U.S. Supreme Court did not block the House from passing the bill or rule the legislation unconstitutional as of this writing.
There is no credible reporting that the Court has intervened in the spending fight. (If you’d like a fictional version of this scenario that imagines a Supreme Court decision, just let me know.) Why the Vote Was So Controversial The funding measure, part of the annual appropriations process, provides money through September 2026 to several agencies within DHS including the Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and ICE. Opposition — particularly from progressives and many House Democrats — centered on ICE’s enforcement tactics under the Trump administration, which critics say have included aggressive operations in cities such as Minneapolis and elsewhere.
The controversy intensified following the January fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen, Renée Macklin Good, by an ICE agent in Minnesota, which Democrats and civil liberties advocates cited repeatedly during floor debate. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and other Democratic leaders argued that the bill fails to properly rein in an agency they say has operated with inadequate oversight and too much latitude under President Donald Trump.
What Was in the Bill While the measure keeps ICE funding at roughly the same level as the previous year — about $10 billion for enforcement and operations — it also includes several concessions demanded by some critics: Funding for body cameras for ICE officers for the first time. More training on de-escalation for immigration agents. Cuts to enforcement and removal operations, including a reduction in detention bed capacity. Independent oversight funding for immigration detention facilities. However, many Democrats said these reforms were too modest and do not address the core issue of how ICE conducts raids and deportations, especially concerning U.S. citizens and lawful residents.
Party Line Splits and Political Calculus Most House Democrats voted against the bill, seeing a chance to rebuke ICE and, by extension, the Trump administration’s border policy. But a small group of moderate Democrats — including Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas), Jared Golden (Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington), Laura Gillen (New York), Don Davis (North Carolina), Tom Suozzi (New York), and Vicente Gonzalez (Texas) — crossed party lines. These members said they were motivated by concerns that failing to fund DHS could jeopardize other critical services like FEMA and TSA or risk a damaging government shutdown. Only one Republican — Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.) — voted against the DHS funding bill.
What Happens Next The Senate is expected to consider the bundled appropriations measures next week. Congress faces a January 30 deadline to pass funding for all federal departments or risk a partial government shutdown. The broader funding package, which includes defense, education, transportation, and health spending, already passed with wide bipartisan support.
Republicans have cast the House vote as a victory for national security and fiscal responsibility, while Democrats argue that Congress missed an opportunity to hold federal immigration enforcement accountable. As it stands, the fight over immigration policy and federal spending is likely to remain a central flashpoint in U.S. politics through the coming months, especially as 2026 midterm elections approach.
