Senate Republicans will meet with President Trump Friday to craft a party-line budget reconciliation bill that funds Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection for years without a single Democrat vote.
The move cuts Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats out of immigration funding decisions entirely. Republicans can pass reconciliation bills with just 51 votes, making Democrat opposition irrelevant.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso and Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham will join Trump at the White House to hammer out the framework. Trump has demanded the bill reach his desk by June 1, giving Republicans a tight timeline.
"We're going to have to go it alone because Democrats aren't interested in funding national security at a time of increased concerns around the world," Barrasso told reporters. Republicans plan to keep the package "targeted" and "focused" to move it quickly.
The strategy represents a major shift in how Congress funds border security. Rather than negotiating with Democrats on annual appropriations, Republicans would lock in immigration enforcement funding for multiple years through the filibuster-proof reconciliation process.
Republicans face internal coordination challenges. Senate GOP leaders want a narrow bill focused solely on ICE and CBP operations, while some House Republicans push for funding the entire Department of Homeland Security in one massive package.
Graham envisions two separate reconciliation bills this year. The first would target immigration enforcement agencies, while a second would tackle GOP priorities including portions of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act and anti-fraud provisions. "We're going to make a down payment on the SAVE Act in reconciliation in the fall," Graham said Monday on a South Carolina radio show.
House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington will not attend Friday's White House meeting, according to sources, potentially signaling the House-Senate divide over scope and strategy.
The reconciliation route allows Republicans to bypass the 60-vote threshold that typically gives the minority party leverage over major legislation. Democrats have consistently opposed increased immigration enforcement funding, forcing previous compromises that limited ICE operations.
Republicans must first pass a budget resolution establishing the parameters for reconciliation legislation. That process typically takes weeks, putting additional pressure on the June 1 deadline Trump has set.
The meeting comes as House Democrats lack support for their own partisan priorities, giving Republicans momentum to advance their immigration agenda unilaterally.
Friday's White House session will determine whether Republicans can align their House and Senate strategies quickly enough to meet Trump's ambitious timeline for transforming immigration enforcement funding.
