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Senate Republicans unveil immigration funding plan with $140 billion price tag as divisions simmer
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Senate Republicans revealed their plan to fund immigration enforcement operations with a whopping 12-figure price tag, but not every member of the GOP is happy with the roadmap.
Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday revealed the GOP’s budget resolution, which will act as the guiding document for Republicans as they launch the budget process.
It’s as Republican leadership wanted — narrowly tailored to fund only Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three years. And it comes with the eye-popping price tag of $140 billion over the next three and a half years.
SENATE GOP READYING PARTY-LINE FUNDING BILL DESPITE DIVISIONS, ANGER AT THE HOUSE
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks to reporters after a briefing by Trump administration officials on U.S. strikes on Iran at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 2026. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«The threats to our homeland from radical Islam are only getting more intense,» Graham said in a statement. «Now is not the time to defund Border Patrol, and now is certainly not the time to put ICE out of business. These men and women have been dealing with the consequences of the over 11 million illegal immigrants that came to the United States during the Biden Administration.»
The upper chamber is expected to vote on the budget blueprint this week, possibly even Tuesday afternoon, if lawmakers can shore up any possible defections and disagreements.
Republicans will get the chance to discuss the bill behind closed doors later in the day, where Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he expects any lingering issues with the framework to be addressed.
«But as I’ve said from the very beginning, the exercise here is to make sure we have something that gets 50 here and 218 in the House that is narrow and focused on ensuring that the ICE and CBP are funded well into the future,» Thune said.
The legislation instructs the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security panels that they are allowed to add to the federal deficit by up to $70 billion each over the next handful of years to fund immigration operations.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a member of the budget committee and deficit hawk, said that reconciliation was the only way to fund immigration operations «because of Democrats’ just obnoxious obstructionism.»
«I mean who can you vote against this? I mean, maybe others want to do something more,» Johnson said. «I want to do something more, what’s that?»
Republicans have opted to reignite reconciliation after last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act as an option of last resort. Congressional Democrats have refused to fund ICE and chunks of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) absent stringent reforms.
SENATE REPUBLICANS RACE TO FUND ICE, CBP WITHOUT DEMOCRATS AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., warned that Senate Democrats’ refusal to fund DHS would have consequences. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
And House Republicans have refused to consider the Senate’s bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which carves out immigration enforcement funding, until reconciliation is complete.
Some Republicans view the latest effort, which cuts out Democrats entirely from the process, as a golden opportunity to tackle several issues ahead of the midterm elections this fall. But others fear that adding more to the bill will slow the process and further prolong the ongoing DHS shutdown.
While a large contingent of Republicans, including Thune, argue that the GOP will have a third bite at the apple later in the year, some believe that this is the only shot they’ll have to craft a party-line package before the election.
«I don’t believe we’ll ever see a third reconciliation,» Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. «I think this is it. I’m not sure that we’ll pass any legislation after this.»
SENATE GOP VOWS TO ‘GO IT ALONE’ ON ICE FUNDING AS DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON SHUTDOWN
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chair Rand Paul, R-Ky., criticized the bill’s price tag. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Kennedy and a small handful of other Republicans want to front-load this reconciliation package with several items to address the cost of living and argued that «rather than having an anorexic bill, we should have a pleasantly plump bill.»
Graham’s framework tasks the Senate Judiciary and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees with crafting the legislative muscle and sinew of the bill.
However, Republicans could face a key roadblock there, too.
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Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chair Rand Paul, R-Ky., is not a fan of the process, particularly because of the price tag associated with it. He made that clear last year when his plan was usurped by Graham for not spending nearly as much as Republicans wanted for border funding and immigration enforcement.
«In general, I’d like to see less spending, not more,» Paul said. «The conservative notion has always been we spend too much money around here. Seems a bit ironic for Republicans to be using their partisan power to spend more money.»
politics, lindsey graham, midterm elections, immigration, republicans elections, budget senate
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Irán ejecutó a su octavo condenado por las protestas de enero con cargos de espionaje para Israel
Las autoridades iraníes ejecutaron en la madrugada del martes a Amir Ali Mirjafari, condenado a muerte por su participación en las protestas de enero y acusado de intentar incendiar la Gran Mezquita de Gholhak, en el norte de Teherán, así como de encabezar una célula vinculada al servicio de inteligencia israelí Mossad. Con él, el poder judicial iraní ha llevado a la horca a ocho personas en poco más de un mes por su papel en las manifestaciones que sacudieron el país a comienzos de año.
La agencia estatal Mizan, portavoz del poder judicial, informó que la sentencia fue ratificada por el Tribunal Supremo antes de su ejecución. Según la misma fuente, Mirjafari habría confesado haber participado en los disturbios del 8 y 9 de enero, haber dañado mobiliario urbano —cabinas telefónicas, autobuses— y haber prendido fuego a motocicletas con botellas de gasolina en varios puntos de Teherán. Sin embargo, el sitio especializado IranWire señaló una contradicción reveladora: en ningún pasaje de las propias confesiones atribuidas a Mirjafari por Mizan aparece mención alguna a la mezquita Gholhak, pese a que esa acusación figura como cargo central en el comunicado oficial.
La organización Iran Human Rights (IHR), con sede en Noruega, rechazó los cargos y advirtió que no dispone de información independiente sobre el caso ni sobre las circunstancias del arresto. “Al vincular sin fundamento su participación en las protestas de enero con Israel y Estados Unidos, la República Islámica continúa su estrategia de presentar la agitación civil interna como espionaje extranjero para acelerar las ejecuciones de manifestantes”, señaló la ONG en un comunicado. Amnistía Internacional, por su parte, lleva años documentando el uso sistemático de confesiones obtenidas bajo coacción o tortura en los tribunales iraníes, práctica que los grupos de derechos humanos consideran endémica en los procesos relacionados con la disidencia política.
Las protestas que desembocaron en esta oleada represiva comenzaron el 28 de diciembre de 2025, desencadenadas por un colapso abrupto de la moneda iraní en un contexto de inflación acelerada y deterioro de las condiciones de vida. Lo que empezó como una reacción a la crisis económica derivó en manifestaciones antigubernamentales de alcance nacional. Los días 8 y 9 de enero, las fuerzas de seguridad respondieron con fuego real; las autoridades iraníes admitieron más de 3.000 muertos, mientras que algunas ONGs hablan de más de 7.000 muertos.
(UGC vía AP, archivo)
Las ejecuciones vinculadas a los sucesos de enero se reactivaron el 19 de marzo, en aplicación de un procedimiento acelerado impulsado por el jefe del poder judicial, el ultraconservador Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. Además de los ocho condenados por las protestas, la República Islámica ha ahorcado en las últimas semanas a ocho miembros de los Mujahedin del Pueblo (MEK), grupo opositor prohibido en Irán, todos ellos hombres. IHR advirtió que cientos de manifestantes enfrentan todavía cargos que conllevan la pena capital, con al menos 30 sentencias a muerte ya dictadas.
El caso de Mirjafari se inscribe en un patrón consolidado. Desde el levantamiento Mujer Vida Libertad de 2022, el régimen iraní ha incrementado de forma sostenida el uso de la pena de muerte como instrumento de control político. En 2025, Irán ejecutó a 1.639 personas, un 68% más que el año anterior y la cifra más alta desde 1989, según el informe conjunto de IHR y la organización francesa Ensemble contre la Peine de Mort (ECPM). El mismo informe documentó que en 2025 fueron ejecutadas al menos 48 mujeres, el número más elevado en más de dos décadas.
La presión internacional se intensificó el mismo martes. El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump pidió a Irán que liberara a ocho mujeres que, según afirmó, se enfrentan a la pena capital, en un mensaje que acompañó la difusión de una publicación de un activista proisraelí en la red social X. Entre los casos más documentados figura el de Bita Hemmati, condenada a muerte por lanzar bloques de hormigón desde un edificio sobre agentes de policía durante las protestas, según el Centro Abdorrahman Boroumand, con sede en Washington.
Con cada ejecución que añade un nuevo nombre a la lista, el poder judicial iraní consolida una maquinaria punitiva que los organismos internacionales ya no dudan en calificar de represión sistemática. La pregunta que sobrevuela Teherán no es si habrá más muertes en la horca, sino cuántas y en qué plazo.
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UK’s elite soldier unit faces exodus over ‘lawfare’ fears — warning sign for US military?
My heart breaks for these soldiers: Navy SEAL
Ret. Navy SEAL Jason Redman says there are a ‘lot of players’ in the Middle East who could be responsible for the ambush of two U.S. soldiers and one civilian interpreter on ‘Fox Report.’
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Britain’s elite Special Air Service (SAS) is facing a growing exodus as soldiers resign over fears they could face years of legal scrutiny for actions taken on the battlefield, according to a report in The Telegraph.
Several sources told the British newspaper that members of 22 SAS, the British Army’s most elite regiment, have applied for premature release amid anger over investigations into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, Syria and Northern Ireland.
The debate is not confined to Britain.
American troops could face similar concerns if political leaders fail to distinguish between legitimate investigations and politically motivated campaigns, according to John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute.
SIX DEMOCRATS URGE MILITARY MEMBERS TO ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ IN VIRAL VIDEO; HEGSETH RESPONDS
«I welcome timely investigations of allegations of violations,» Spencer told Fox News Digital, «but want our leaders to protect all our forces, special or not, from agenda or politicized ‘witch hunts.’»
Australian Cpl. Ben Roberts-Smith attends a Victoria Cross and George Cross Association Reunion Service at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church on May 30, 2012, in London. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
In Australia, the case of Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith has become a rallying point for veterans who fear elite soldiers could face years of legal battles after serving in combat.
Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living soldier, has denied allegations that he committed war crimes in Afghanistan. Earlier in April, Australian authorities charged him with five counts of murder related to his service in Afghanistan.
To many British veterans, the Australian case reinforces fears that the same trend could spread across other Western militaries, including the United States.
British armed forces work with the U.S. military to evacuate eligible civilians and their families on Aug. 21, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan. (MoD Crown Copyright/Getty Images)
At least two SAS squadrons have been affected, with several current and former members describing the losses as a «threat to national security.» The paper did not publish the precise number of departures for security reasons.
The resignations come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government faces criticism over both defense spending and the treatment of veterans.
Britain’s armed forces have faced mounting scrutiny over their size and readiness in recent years. But the U.K. government says it is reversing that trend, reporting that total armed forces strength stood at 182,050 personnel as of Jan. 1, 2026, including 136,960 regular troops, an increase from the previous year.
The government also has pledged what it calls the largest sustained rise in defense spending since the Cold War, with military spending set to reach 2.6% of GDP by 2027, backed by an additional £5 billion this financial year and £270 billion in defense investment over the course of the current Parliament. Britain also has said it aims to raise defense spending to 3% of GDP by the end of the next Parliament.
Former and current soldiers said they believe Britain’s legal system has turned against troops who were sent to fight on behalf of the government.
«If a soldier discharges their weapon, they are almost certainly going to get a knock at their door one day,» George Simm, a former regimental sergeant major of 22 SAS, told The Telegraph. «It feels like a betrayal and a break in the trust.»
RETIRED GENERAL BLASTS DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS’ ‘IRRESPONSIBLE’ VIDEO URGING TROOPS TO REFUSE ‘ILLEGAL’ ORDERS
Britain’s elite Special Air Service (SAS) is facing a growing exodus as soldiers resign over fears they could face years of legal scrutiny for actions taken on the battlefield, according to a report in The Telegraph. (Omar Sobhani/Reuters)
The controversy centers on ongoing investigations into British special forces operations.
A total of 242 special forces troops, including 120 still serving, are currently involved in legal inquiries costing roughly £1 million per month. Those inquiries involve operations in Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Syria.
Critics say those investigations have created a culture in which soldiers fear that decisions made in combat would later lead to prosecution.
Andrew Fox, a former British Army officer and senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank, told Fox News Digital the relationship between soldiers and the government has been badly damaged.
«Soldiering contains a pact between the government and those they employ to use lethal force,» Fox said. «Soldiers will take human life within the rules set for them by international law, and in return, their governments should support them.
«This has been inverted, and international law has been weaponized and exploited by our enemies to persecute our soldiers. All too often, governments are coming down on the side of those enemies, not our troops.»
Fox said it was understandable that some soldiers would no longer want to serve.
«Of course, law breaking should be punished, but we are seeing a breakdown in trust between governments and their armed forces when politicians allow troops to be hounded through the courts unjustly,» he said.
Spencer said professional militaries depend on maintaining public trust through a strong internal justice system.
«A professional military holds the trust of its society because it lives by a strict ethical code, its laws, and its rules,» Spencer told Fox News Digital. «That trust is what gives soldiers the unique authority to use lethal force in the worst conditions a human being can face.»
Spencer said allegations of wrongdoing should be investigated quickly and fairly.
«We need investigations that move quickly and fairly on any credible allegation,» he said. «If there’s real evidence of wrongdoing under the law of armed conflict or the rules of engagement, then both the military and society must act on it. That’s how you keep the trust alive.»
PRINCE HARRY FIRES BACK AT TRUMP OVER NATO CRITICISM: ‘I LOST FRIENDS’ IN AFGHANISTAN
American troops could face similar concerns if political leaders fail to distinguish between legitimate investigations and politically motivated campaigns, according to John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
At the same time, Spencer warned that some legal campaigns risk crossing the line into what troops perceive as politically motivated «witch hunts.»
«I’ve seen too many human rights lawyers blur the line between basic human rights and the actual law of armed conflict,» Spencer said. «They don’t always understand the application of the use of force in context or the split-second chaos of combat. When that turns into what troops call witch hunts, it eats away at morale and readiness.»
Spencer said governments have a responsibility both to investigate credible accusations and to protect troops from what he called agenda-driven campaigns.
«It’s also the duty of the government to shield the military from agenda-driven witch hunts,» he said. «A rigorous military justice system and honest self-policing are essential for an ethical force. Without them, the profession loses the very trust that lets it do its job.»
Britain’s Ministry of Defense spokesperson told Fox News digital that, «While it is a long-standing policy of successive governments to not comment on U.K. Special Forces, we are immensely proud of all our Armed Forces and their extraordinary contribution to keeping the U.K. safe at home and abroad.»
«We are committed to ensuring that the legal framework governing our Armed Forces reflects the practical realities of military operations — and that those who served with honor are properly protected,» he added, «Where the U.K. undertakes military action, it complies fully with U.K. and international law. We are clear that upholding those standards does not prevent our Armed Forces from conducting effective operations.»
Former British military chiefs warned in an open letter to Starmer in late 2025 that soldiers increasingly believe they must worry about «not only the enemy in front of them but the lawyer behind them.»
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To many British veterans, the Australian case reinforces fears that the same trend could spread across other Western militaries, including the United States. (Guvendemir/Getty Iamges )
«Make no mistake,» the retired generals wrote, «our closest allies are watching uneasily, and our enemies will be rubbing their hands.»
national security, army, armed forces, investigations, veterans, united kingdom
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Missing scientists probe was sparked after ‘UFO General’ disappeared, Republican lawmaker reveals
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A congressional probe launched this week into the string of missing scientists was sparked by the disappearance of a former high-ranking official who oversaw some of the military’s most classified research programs, one House Republican revealed.
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital in an interview that he was particularly taken aback by the disappearance of retired Air Force Gen. William Neil McCasland, who vanished in February from his Albuquerque, New Mexico home. His phone and prescription glasses were left behind.
The Missouri Republican said his staff was already working to contact McCasland, who he described as the «UFO general» due to his deep expertise, about a separate congressional investigation prior to his disappearance.
A split image showing missing retired Air Force Major Gen. Neil McCasland in the green, button-up shirt he was last seen wearing and in his military uniform. (Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Neil McCasland/Facebook, Kirtland Air Force Base)
STRING OF SCIENTIST DEATHS, VANISHINGS FUELS EXPERT TALKS OF SHADOW OPS AND SILENCED SECRETS: ‘VERY SERIOUS’
«He was on our list to talk to, and he disappeared, so that kind of piqued our interest,» Burlison detailed.
McCasland is one of the 11 individuals working in nuclear or rocket technology who have died or vanished under mysterious circumstances since 2022. Some, including McCasland, have ties to UFO research.
The astronautical engineer’s hiking boots, wallet and a .38‑caliber revolver were reported as missing, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico.
Though federal officials have not identified a connection between the missing scientists, their shared field and potential access to sensitive research have sparked growing concern.
Asked by Fox News Digital about whether he suspects foul play is involved in McCasland’s disappearance, Burlison said, «I’m not going to jump to that conclusion, but it’s certainly suspicious.»
«How many people walk out their front door without their phone, their wallet, their keys, or anything?» Burlison added. «I don’t go anywhere without my phone. I don’t even mow the lawn without my phone.»
Rep. Eric Burlison participated in a Republican Study Committee news conference unveiling its fiscal year 2025 budget proposal at the U.S. Capitol on March 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
REP BURLISON DEMANDS FBI PROBE AFTER TOP US SCIENTISTS VANISH OR TURN UP DEAD
«So it’s just really, really strange that in about a five-month period of time, four or five people walked out their front door and never returned, and were all doing advanced aerospace research,» Burlison said.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Burlison, who helms the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, opened an investigation into the missing scientists on Monday.
«I want them to determine if there’s any kind of foul play,» Burlison said, referring to the Trump administration.
The duo sent letters to the FBI, the Department of War, NASA and the Department of Energy requesting more information about Americans who have allegedly vanished. They have also asked for a staff-level briefing by April 27 — giving them only a week to prepare.
A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee said the panel will be releasing updates as the investigation proceeds.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, told «Fox & Friends Weekend» that he had sent letters to the leaders of several government agencies seeking information related to the mysterious deaths and disappearances of scientists in recent years. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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NASA said Monday that it would convene an interagency effort to probe the missing scientists, but cautioned that it had yet to identify any threats.
«At this time, nothing related to NASA indicates a national security threat,» NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens wrote on X. «The agency is committed to transparency and will provide more information as it becomes available.»
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also said that Trump is «actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI» to review the cases and identify any potential connections.
missing persons, ufos, fbi, investigations, nasa, aliens, house of representatives politics
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