What happened
In early June, the Senate passed S. 2, the Secure America Act, a budget reconciliation bill to fund immigration enforcement. At that point it still had to pass the House. That has since happened. According to the law's legislative history, the Senate considered and passed it on June 3 and 4, 2026, and the House passed it on June 9. The President signed it on June 10, 2026. It is now Public Law 119-98.
The law adds money on top of what these agencies already receive. Each amount stays available until September 30, 2029. Added together, the sections come to $69,545,000,000, which is where the "$70 billion" figure comes from. The White House budget office described it as "$38 billion to ICE and $26 billion to Border Patrol," plus "a total of $5 billion" in additional appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security.
Here is how the text divides it. For ICE: $31,075,000,000 for immigration enforcement, and $7,450,000,000 for Homeland Security Investigations work other than immigration and customs enforcement, including $108,500,000 for child exploitation investigators. For U.S. Customs and Border Protection: $13,020,000,000 for immigration enforcement, $9,550,000,000 for Border Patrol agents and support staff for functions other than immigration enforcement and customs, and $3,450,000,000 for border technology, drug screening and surveillance. The Secretary of Homeland Security gets two more amounts of $2,500,000,000 each.
Who this is about
This is a spending law. It pays for ICE and CBP staff, transportation for departure and removal operations, information technology including body-worn cameras, facilities, vehicles, ICE attorneys who represent the government in removal proceedings, and agreements with state and local police under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
One part names a specific group. At least $350,000,000 goes to ICE for detainers, custody transfers, release monitoring, transportation and arrests of adults the law calls "covered unlawful aliens" who are encountered in places that are not "qualified cooperating jurisdictions." The law defines a covered person by listing criminal grounds in immigration law, an immigration detainer issued after an arrest, charge, booking or conviction (other than a minor traffic offense), or a charge or conviction for illegal entry or reentry. A qualified cooperating jurisdiction is a state or local government that, on the date the law was enacted, had a 287(g) agreement in effect or had filed a certain certification with DHS.
The text does not say how many people will be arrested or removed, which cities or states are affected, or how any agency will use the money day to day.
What it does not mean
- It does not change immigration law itself. The text creates no new visa, does not end any existing program, and does not change any USCIS form, fee or filing rule.
- It does not fund immigration courts or immigration judges. The court-related money in the text is for ICE's own attorneys, who represent the government.
- It is not still waiting in Congress. The short was made when only the Senate had voted. It has been law since June 10, 2026.
- It does not mean a person's case will turn out a certain way. Nothing in the text decides any individual case.
What to do with this
If news like this raises questions about your own situation, talk to a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative. The organizations below are a place to start. Advocasí helps prepare paperwork once a qualified advisor has said which path applies.
Advocasí is not a law firm. We explain what a policy says and help people prepare their own paperwork once a qualified advisor has told them which path applies.