GOP Senate plan includes $1B for Trump ballroom security in ICE, border bill

WASHINGTON, DC: Senate Republicans have proposed a $70 billion immigration and border enforcement package that includes $1 billion in funding for the United States Secret Service to support security upgrades tied to President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom project.

The funding is part of a broader legislative effort to expand resources for immigration enforcement and border security through 2029.

GOP-led Senate committees released the proposal late Monday, outlining major investments in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), while also including additional security funding linked to the East Wing modernization project.

The package is expected to advance through the budget reconciliation process, allowing Republicans to move it without Democratic support.

GOP immigration package includes funding for WH security expansion

The proposal, introduced by Republican-led Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees, would direct approximately $38 billion toward US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and roughly $26 billion toward US Customs and Border Protection for operational and infrastructure upgrades.

The funding would remain available through September 2029 and is part of a broader push by congressional Republicans to strengthen border enforcement and immigration operations.

Buried within the legislative text is an additional $1 billion allocation for the Secret Service, specifically for security-related improvements tied to the White House East Wing modernization. 

The bill states the money is for “security adjustments and upgrades … to support enhancements by the United States Secret Service relating to the East Wing Modernization Project, including above-ground and below-ground security features.”

The text also explicitly states the money cannot be used for “non-security elements” of the project, separating construction and event-space costs from security infrastructure.

The Trump administration has previously said that the president’s proposed White House ballroom and East Wing renovation would be financed through private donations rather than public funds.

 However, the new Senate proposal would provide federal money specifically for associated security measures.

The immigration package forms part of a larger Republican strategy to implement Trump’s border priorities after he publicly urged congressional leaders to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security by June 1.

GOP lawmakers cite security concerns as debate grows 

Republican lawmakers have increasingly linked the ballroom project to broader security concerns following the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last month.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle said the funding would address security vulnerabilities across the White House complex.

“Congress has rightly recognized the need for these funds,” Ingle said. “Due in part to the recent assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the proposal would provide the United States Secret Service with the resources they need to fully and completely harden the White House complex.”

Senator Lindsey Graham has separately introduced legislation authorizing $400 million for the ballroom project, including a national security annex beneath the structure.

Senator Katie Britt, who supports that measure, said oversight would be essential if public money is used.

“We need to make sure that we have oversight and do that responsibly,” Britt said. 

She added that the ballroom would likely serve future administrations as much as Trump’s, given the projected construction timeline.