The US Congress on Tuesday approved nearly $70 billion in funding for immigration enforcement agencies, handing President Donald Trump a major victory as he seeks to continue his hardline immigration policies through the remainder of his second term.
The Republican-backed measure passed the House of Representatives by a narrow 214-212 vote after clearing the Senate and now awaits Trump's signature.
The bill provides almost $70 billion through 2029 for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agencies at the centre of Trump's deportation and border security agenda.
Democrats opposed the measure, arguing that additional funding should be tied to stricter oversight of immigration enforcement officers. The debate intensified after federal agents fatally shot two US citizens during operations in the US state of Minnesota earlier this year.
The dispute contributed to a broader budget stand-off over the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and CBP, and helped trigger a partial government shutdown. While lawmakers resolved much of the funding dispute earlier this year, they failed to agree on additional money for the two agencies.
Republicans ultimately used the budget reconciliation process to advance the measure without support from Democrats.
The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the move, saying Republicans had again bypassed normal legislative procedures to advance Trump's immigration agenda.
The legislation's passage had been delayed by opposition to other elements of Trump's policy agenda, including resistance from some Republicans.
