Fact Check: Senate Advances $70bn ICE and Border Patrol Funding Plan

Claim 1 The US Senate voted 50-48 in favor of advancing a funding plan for ICE and Border Patrol early on Thursday morning. This vote was a procedural step to move the budget framework forward, allowing the measure to proceed to the House. Multiple news outlets recorded the 50-48 tally in the predawn session. Verdict: True Analysis: The vote did not enact funding; it cleared a hurdle under the budget reconciliation process, which lets related bills pass with a simple majority.

Claim 2 The $70 billion funding proposal would finance ICE and Border Patrol for three years, covering the remainder of Donald Trump’s presidential term if he were re‑elected. The plan’s text specifies a three‑year appropriation window, which aligns with the remaining period of a potential second Trump term. Verdict: True Analysis: The duration is accurate, but the funding would only cover that period contingent on Trump winning the 2024 election; otherwise the timeline would not match his term.

Claim 3 The Department of Homeland Security has been partially shut down since mid‑February 2025 after Democrats demanded policy changes following the fatal shootings of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis in January 2025. No credible reports show a DHS shutdown during that period, and searches for the named protesters or the described incident return no verifiable evidence. The department continued to operate normally, and the alleged shootings have not been confirmed by any official source. Verdict: False Analysis: The claim appears to be fabricated; there is no record of a partial DHS shutdown, and the specific shooting incident lacks corroboration.

Watch next for the House’s consideration of the bill and any further amendments during the reconciliation process.