The U.S. Senate voted 50-48 in the early hours of Thursday to adopt a budget resolution that would allow Republicans to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection without Democratic support. The vote, which concluded around 3:30 a.m. Eastern time, came after roughly six hours of debate and a marathon series of amendment votes known as a "vote-a-rama." The resolution now moves to the House for adoption before a final funding bill can be written and voted on in both chambers.

Two Republican senators broke with their party on the vote: Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska both voted against the resolution. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said the process will "ensure that America's borders are secure" and prevent Democrats from blocking funding for immigration enforcement agencies. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called the effort a "partisan sideshow" and accused Republicans of pouring money into immigration enforcement without adequate oversight or restraints.

The budget resolution authorizes the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees to draft legislation increasing spending by up to $70 billion each, though the final bill's total price tag is expected to be approximately $70 billion. Republicans say the dual authorization figures are designed to give committees flexibility in crafting the legislation. The goal is to fund ICE and Border Patrol for more than three years — through the remainder of the Trump administration — with President Trump having set a June 1 deadline for final passage.

The reconciliation process is being used because it requires only a simple Senate majority, bypassing the 60-vote threshold normally needed to overcome a filibuster. Democrats have blocked direct funding for ICE and Border Patrol since mid-February, demanding policy changes in response to the conduct of federal agents. Republicans used the same reconciliation mechanism last year to pass a package of tax and spending cuts without Democratic votes.

The path forward carries complications. Some Republicans in both chambers are pressing to add other priorities to the bill, including agricultural funding and the SAVE America Act, Trump's proof-of-citizenship voting legislation. Republican leaders have urged a narrow focus to meet the end-of-month timeline, promising a second reconciliation bill later to address additional items — a pledge that has drawn skepticism from members of their own party given thin congressional margins and an approaching election cycle.