Senate Adopts "Eye-Watering" Enforcement Funding Framework
Plus, a protest in Sackets Harbor, an op-ed from ICE detention by Mahmoud Khalil, and more.
Good morning! Late last night, we reported that Senate Majority Leader John Thune authorized committees to pursue a staggering $521 billion in immigration and defense funding. Overnight we learned that, of the total, $345 billion is earmarked for immigration—split between the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security—as a placeholder to accommodate Trump’s deportation agenda.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who led the effort, and Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) both told us the final number for enforcement spending would be closer to $175 billion, but Democrats aren’t buying it. “They’re trying to pull one over on us,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) pointed to “expensive mistakes” behind the ballooning enforcement request, which Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) called “eye-watering.”
In the end, no immigration amendments were considered during an overnight Senate vote-a-rama that stretched until nearly 3 a.m. Eastern, when the chamber passed the budget framework with 51 votes. Republican Sens. Susan Collins (ME) and Rand Paul (KY) joined all Democrats in opposing the Graham-led plan. The measure now heads back to the House for consideration. Congress returns to the Capitol on Monday.
— Pablo Manriquez and Nicolae Viorel Butler
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In Other News…
POLITICO: Judge Rolando Olivera has not only mandated that ICE release Adrian Gil Rojas, a Venezuelan with valid TPS, but instructed the government to pay for his travel back home to New York.
NEWSWEEK: A Trump voter's wife, Camila Muñoz, detained by ICE in Puerto Rico after their honeymoon, has been granted bond and will be released soon, though her husband still supports the president despite the ordeal.
NORTH COUNTY PUBLIC RADIO: The Sackets Harbor, New York community is rallying for the return of a mother and her three children, detained by ICE during a dairy farm raid, sparking local outrage and calls for their release.
Sackets Harbor Protest Planned to Homan’s House
Advocates have planned a peaceful protest march by border czar Tom Homan’s house in Sackets Harbor to protest the ICE raid on the dairy farm in their community (see above). The flyer was obtained by Migrant Insider—
If you are attending the march, please send us updates to tips@migrantinsider.com.
New Map Visualizes Disappeared Migrants
A new data visualization by Danielle Harlow tracks migrants disappeared by ICE. We scooped this week the launch of SignalSafe app, where users can drop a pin on a map of what they see in their communities—
Harlow’s mapping effort has no such community features, existing instead as a sort of online bulletin board of confirmed disappearances by ICE—including names and locations of the deported.
We have tried unsuccessfully to interview the mapmaker but have been so far unable to get through to her. If you know Danielle Harlow, please share this with her. We’d love to connect.
Khalil Breaks Silence From ICE Detention
Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist on a a green card who ICE detained in front of his pregnant wife last month in New York, has written an op-ed, his first words out ot the world since he was detained on March 3.
The Trump administration, alleging his activities align with Hamas and citing national security concerns, revoked his green card and seeks to deport him under a rarely used immigration law, despite no criminal charges being filed against him. A federal judge has temporarily blocked his deportation pending legal review.
scooped the op-ed which you can read here—— Ale Franqueza
