Senate Republicans were forced to pass a reconciliation bill to fund ICE and the Border Patrol because Trump refused to make a deal with Democrats reforming ICE and the Border Patrol after U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by Trump’s immigration agents.
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The Senate Republican’s original idea for the reconciliation bill was a simple bill to defund ICE and the Border Patrol. They called the bill meager and believed it could pass quickly because the Department of Homeland Security spent funds it received in last year’s Republican reconciliation bill to make up for funds it didn’t receive this year.
This should have been a simple process that required them to take ownership of the actions of ICE and Border Patrol or come to the table and negotiate reforms.
Trump got involved and saw the reconciliation bill as a vehicle for massive corruption. First of all, Trump demanded $1 billion for his allegedly privately funded ballroom. Then Trump launched a $1.8 billion “anti-arms fund” that was actually a taxpayer-funded slush fund for people who committed crimes trying to help the president overturn the 2020 election.
Senate Republicans rebelled against the “arms fund” SO Democrats rushed in and announced amendments to the reconciliation bill aimed at essentially killing the fund.and now, because of Trump, the entire agenda is about to collapse in the Senate.
Republicans really want to return to funding ICE and the Border Patrol, but the White House refuses.