--- title: The Two Republicans Who Broke Ranks as GOP Clears Path for ICE Funding description: The Senate voted to advance a budget resolution aimed at clearing the path to fund immigration agencies, passing the measure 50–48 without Democratic support. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/04/23/republicans-who-broke-ranks-as-gop-clears-path-for-ice-funding/ author: Tiago Ventura article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-04-24T13:03:01.140Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-12T07:05:41.616Z article:section: Politics og:title: The Two Republicans Who Broke Ranks as GOP Clears Path for ICE Funding og:description: The measure advanced with a 50-48 call early Thursday, with all but two Republicans voting in favor of advancing the GOP plan that could see the eventual approval of around $70 billion in additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/04/23/republicans-who-broke-ranks-as-gop-clears-path-for-ice-funding/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc9cdca6cb2d15093/69ea6d62b70436ca41f87fa0/GettyImages-2271765923.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2271765923.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Two Republicans Who Broke Ranks as GOP Clears Path for ICE Funding twitter:description: The measure advanced with a 50-48 call early Thursday, with all but two Republicans voting in favor of advancing the GOP plan that could see the eventual approval of around $70 billion in additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc9cdca6cb2d15093/69ea6d62b70436ca41f87fa0/GettyImages-2271765923.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Two Republicans Who Broke Ranks as GOP Clears Path for ICE Funding ## Video: Jacob Frey Reacts To An Additional $70 Billion Funding For ICE And Border Patrol VERTICAL [Watch (HLS stream): Jacob Frey Reacts To An Additional $70 Billion Funding For ICE And Border Patrol VERTICAL](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3WfUulUk.m3u8) (0:26)  _Published 2026-04-24. The Senate voted to advance a budget resolution aimed at clearing the path to fund immigration agencies, passing the measure 50–48 without Democratic support._  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Apr 24, 2026 1:03 PM UTC  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Apr 24, 2026 1:03 PM UTC The Senate voted to adopt a budget [resolution](https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll%5Fcall%5Fvotes/vote1192/vote%5F119%5F2%5F00105.htm) aimed at clearing the path to fund immigration agencies in an effort to end the two-month shutdown of the [Department of Homeland Security (DHS.)](https://time.com/article/2026/04/07/democrats-insist-they-won-the-shutdown-fight-some-aren-t-convinced/) The measure advanced with a 50-48 call early Thursday, with all but two Republicans voting in favor of advancing the GOP plan that could see the eventual approval of around $70 billion in additional funding for [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)](https://time.com/7358027/ice-agents-minnesota-alex-pretti-abolish-ice/) and Border Patrol. Republican Senators [Rand Paul of Kentucky](https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/republican-rand-paul-voted-against-iran-war-powers-resolution/) and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska notably joined all Democrats in voting against the measure. Sen. Paul, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, raised issue with the breakdown of the numbers, suggesting cuts be made elsewhere. “Congress ought to fund border security, but we should be good stewards of the taxpayer dollars and fully pay for the $70 billion to secure our borders,” he [told](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2LLcBGYYIE&t=8012s) the Senate floor. Paul instead suggested an amendment, proposing the elimination of $5 billion in refugee welfare, cutting more than $45 billion in foreign aid, slashing the National Science Foundation by nearly $4 billion, and reducing the Department of Education by 16%. “These reductions would be made in just one fiscal year and would fully pay for border security,” he claimed. Paul has previously [broken](https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/republican-rand-paul-voted-against-iran-war-powers-resolution/) with his party on fiscal policy matters. In February 2025, he was the only Republican to oppose a [resolution](https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll%5Fcall%5Fvotes/vote1191/vote%5F119%5F1%5F00087.htm) led by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina that would have allowed the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees to spend up to $175 billion to implement Trump’s border security agenda. He also opposed [Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” ](https://time.com/7299256/big-beautiful-bill-polling-takeaways/)which passed in the Senate last July with the tie-breaking vote of Vice President J.D. Vance. His opposition and [citing](https://www.paul.senate.gov/op%5Feds/why-i-said-no-to-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/) of concerns over “fiscal conservatism” drew criticism from Trump, who [described](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115605992780109632) Paul on Truth Social as “a sick wacko, who refuses to vote for our great Republican Party.”  U.S. Sen. Rand Paul speaks with reporters during the Senate War Powers vote on April 22, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Heather Diehl—Getty Images Sen. Murkowski, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, did not immediately comment on her vote opposing Thursday's measure, but she has previously been a vocal critic of the Trump Administration’s handling of immigration enforcement. “The tragedy and chaos the country is witnessing in Minneapolis is shocking,” she [said](https://x.com/lisamurkowski/status/2015511814025404442) in January after Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by federal agents. Murkowski insisted the killing should “raise serious questions within the Administration about the adequacy of immigration-enforcement training and the instructions officers are given on carrying out their mission.” The Alaska Senator also [joined](https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll%5Fcall%5Fvotes/vote1192/vote%5F119%5F2%5F00018.htm) Democrats in voting to rescind ICE funding earlier this year. Like Rand, she has [earned the wrath of Trump](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114266599439835683) when breaking from party lines. Meanwhile, following the vote in the early hours of Thursday morning, the legislation will now move to the House. If the budget framework is adopted, it would allow congressional committees to begin drafting separate legislation outlining how the $70 billion would be spent, which Trump would then need to sign into law. The funding is expected to run for three years, coinciding with the end of Trump’s presidency in January 2029. “The vast majority of Republicans stuck together to do something Democrats are refusing to do: Fully fund the Border Patrol and ICE for three and a half years through the Trump presidency,” [said](https://x.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/2047218291861492084) Sen. Graham. Senate Majority Leader John Thune stressed there is a “multistep process ahead of us," yet told reporters he's [hopeful](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=345&v=V6JdZbXUWck&feature=youtu.be) the House will move forward soon, as DHS officials [warn](https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2046577027768062083) that funding will dry up next month.  Lisa Murkowski during a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2026. Tom Williams—Getty Images But Republicans and Democrats remain at odds about how best to move forward. [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer](https://time.com/7332829/chuck-schumer-shutdown-reelection/) criticized the budget resolution and said “nobody respects” ICE and Border Patrol. “When America’s crying out for real relief on the skyrocketing cost of living, Republicans are spending another $140 billion on Trump’s private militia, on these two rogue agencies that have no restraint,” he [argued](https://www.facebook.com/CBSNews/videos/1484100633219917/). Trump [demanded](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116454478250206122) an apology over the comment on Thursday, referring to it as “one of the most egregious, incorrect, unpatriotic, and dangerous statements” he had ever heard from a politician. Funding for most of DHS lapsed in late January after Democrats [refused](https://time.com/7358586/government-shutdown-democrat-demands-ice/) to continue financing the agency in response to the Administration’s [immigration crackdown](https://time.com/7377981/minneapolis-ice-tom-homan-trump-immigration/) in Minneapolis, which resulted in the fatal shootings of [Pretti](https://time.com/7357687/alex-pretti-ice-minneapolis/) and fellow U.S. citizen [Renee Good](https://time.com/7345200/ice-shooting-border-patrol-minneapolis-portland-renee-good-luis-moncada-yorlenys-zambrano-contreras/) at the hands of federal agents. The [partial shutdown](https://time.com/7378601/government-shutdown-congress-ice-dhs-democrats-polls/) has become the longest in U.S. history, stretching on for more than 60 days andcausing [disruption](https://time.com/article/2026/03/17/government-shutdown-tsa-democrats-congress-trump/]) across several agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), where staffing shortages resulted in long lines at airports. Democrats in the Senate alongside the Republicans [agreed](https://time.com/article/2026/03/27/senate-dhs-shutdown-deal-ice-tsa-funding-trump-republicans/) in March to fund DHS whilst leaving out funding for ICE and some parts of Border and Customs Patrol (BCP). However, [House Republicans](https://time.com/article/2026/03/27/-a-joke-house-republicans-reject-senate-s-dhs-funding-deal/) rejected the deal, saying they would not support any bill that did not fund immigration enforcement. Trump moved to [fund](https://time.com/article/2026/03/27/senate-dhs-shutdown-deal-ice-tsa-funding-trump-republicans/) the agency via executive action, but if funding runs out again before the DHS is fully reopened, there are concerns travelers in the U.S. could see a return of long airport lines and significant delays. 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