Collins secures GOP nod in Maine Senate battle that could decide GOP majority

2026-06-09T22:59:02-04:00 / Fox News

Collins challenger Platner faces scrutiny over tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, inflammatory Reddit posts and new allegations

By Paul Steinhauser Fox News

Published June 9, 2026 10:59pm EDT

Asked by Fox News Digital if Democratic Senate challenger Graham Platner is too far to the left, GOP Sen. Susan Collins says ‘I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters.’

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As she runs for a sixth six-year term in the U.S. Senate in left-leaning Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins is now officially her party’s nominee in a crucial race that’s one of a handful across the country that will determine whether Republicans keep control of their slim Senate majority.

Collins can toss the “presumptive nominee” title after formally landing her party’s nomination on Tuesday by running unopposed in Maine’s Senate GOP primary.

As she fights for re-election, the 73-year-old Collins is once again a top target for Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority in this year’s midterms.

“I have been the No. 1 target of Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, not only in this campaign, but the last two campaigns as well. I’m always his No. 1 target,” Collins said in a recent Fox News Digital interview.

SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine tours a food bank in Harrison, Maine, on May 5, 2026. The food bank was able to expand thanks to federal funding that the senator helped obtain.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Facing Collins will be military veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling.

While Collins has focused on her Senate agenda, and on Friday she received bipartisan praise after reaching a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote, Platner has been playing defense amid multiple controversies, ranging from inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, to new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes.

Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder from his four tours of duty in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, has said he’s “been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self-medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend.”

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Graham Platner, the Democrats’ presumptive Senate nominee in Maine, holds an energy event in Ellsworth, Maine, on Monday, May 11, 2026.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

“I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated,” Platner added. “I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine.”

The candidate apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign. Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He said that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. But new allegations raise questions about Platner’s timeline regarding knowledge of the tattoo.

‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN

Platner, who is supported by progressive champions Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Ro Khanna of California, is pushing an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class.

Asked if Platner is too far to the left for voters in her northern New England state, Collins recently told Fox News Digital, “I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters. But, obviously, I don’t take anything for granted.”

Collins said that when it comes to her Democratic challenger’s growing political baggage, “Obviously, I’m going to be contrasting my record of achievement and accomplishments with Graham Platner’s approach.”

An outside political group aligned with the senator has already been blasting Platner, running ads spotlighting his multiple controversies.

Platner, who is running as an outsider, emphasizes that Collins is part of a “broken Washington” and “a generation of politicians who have failed us.”

He has described Collins’ moderate Republican image as a “charade,” highlights her support for some of President Donald Trump’s agenda and accuses her of being part of a political system that benefits the wealthy.

“She and Republican politicians like her have prioritized the interests of billionaires and corporations over people,” he has charged.

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner stand together during a “Fighting Oligarchy” tour stop at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Republicans — as the party currently in power in Washington, D.C. — were already up against traditional political headwinds that typically lead to a loss of congressional seats. Add to that the challenging climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s underwater approval ratings.

Asked how she can overcome the blame pointed at Republicans over the high cost of living, Collins recently told Fox News Digital she’s championed the low-income heating assistance program, which “helps low-income families and seniors stay warm during the cold winter months. I just recently made sure the final tranche of money was released because there is a lot of need in the state of Maine, and the cost of living is high here.”

Collins also emphasized her opposition to cuts “in food stamp benefits and in other programs that are designed for low-income families because I know how important they are.”

The latest public opinion polls point to a competitive contest between Collins and Platner.

But Collins has a history of defeating the Democrats’ efforts to oust her from the Senate.

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Six years ago, she trailed Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, the then-Maine House speaker, but the senator ended up winning re-election by nearly nine points.

Pointing to the expected wave of attack ads targeting her, Collins said, “Fortunately, the people of Maine are smart, and they know lies and distortions when they see it.”

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.

Nevada GOP Gov. Joe Lombardo projected to face Democrat Aaron Ford in one of this year’s most competitive races

June 9, 2026 / 11:56 PM EDT / CBS News

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo won their parties’ primaries in this year’s Nevada gubernatorial race, CBS News projects, setting up the November ballot in one of the races Democrats are targeting.

Ford, who is from Clark County, defeated several primary opponents on Tuesday, with his most formidable challenge coming from progressive Alexis Hill. According to University of Nevada-Las Vegas political science professor Rebecca Gill, Ford had entered the race with name recognition and a structural advantage as the highest-ranking Democrat elected statewide.

Lombardo also defeated multiple primary opponents on Tuesday.

Democrats in the state have already begun zeroing in on Lombardo, and the Democratic Governors’ Association has identified Nevada as one of its top targets.

The Cook Political Report has rated the Nevada gubernatorial race as a toss up.

The November election is expected to be largely a referendum on President Trump, as the state has been hit hard by some of Mr. Trump’s signature policies, including immigration and tariffs. Canadians account for half of Las Vegas’ foreign tourism, which has dropped by 17% in 2025.

Tourism, which accounts for 30% of the region’s jobs, in 2025 declined 7.5% overall, the largest visitor drop outside of the pandemic since 1970, when the city started tracking data.

As attorney general, Ford signed onto more than 40 lawsuits in 2025 against the Trump administration, something that will figure prominently in his effort to unseat Lombardo.

Lombardo told Politico earlier this year that he is “concerned” about reelection.

“Not only because of my re-elect but because of Nevada, right?” Lombardo said. “What’s the proverbial line — all politics are local? It’s no longer that way. What’s happening worldwide, nationally, either we embrace it or we don’t.”

Gill, the political scientist, said Lombardo will have an “uphill battle” in November.

Nevada had voted for Democrats in most presidential elections since 2008, and the state has two Democratic senators. But the state’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, which was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdowns, leading Nevadans to vote Lombardo into office as governor in 2022. Two years later, Mr. Trump won the state by three points.

Voters across 4 states gear up for primaries

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/voters-across-4-states-gear-up-for-key-primaries-ahead-of-2026-midterm-elections/

美媒：美军打击了伊朗境内20个目标

2026年6月10日 10:57 / 联合早报

美国福克斯新闻网星期二（6月9日）晚报道，一名美国高级官员透露，美军当天对伊朗境内20个目标实施了打击。

这名美国官员说，虽然美国中央司令部宣布打击行动结束，但局势仍“处于动态变化中”。如果伊朗进行报复，美军已做好应对准备。

美国中央司令部当天早前宣布，对伊朗发动了“自卫性打击”，这是对8日一架美国阿帕奇武装直升机被击落的回应。

CNN projects Republican Steve Hilton will advance in CA Governor’s race

2026-06-09T23:55:20.229Z / CNN Politics

CNN projects Republican Steve Hilton will advance in CA Governor’s race

Erin Burnett Out Front

Republican Steve Hilton will advance to the November election in California’s gubernatorial race, CNN’s Decision Desk projects. Erin Burnett and John King report.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/09/politics/video/ebof-california-governor-projection-gop-steve-hilton

2:22 • Source: CNN

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Is Social Security keeping up with your cost of living? Share your story

2026-06-09 4:18 PM ET / CNN Politics

By Tami Luhby

PUBLISHED Jun 9, 2026, 4:18 PM ET

Inflation Economy

Social Security benefits are losing their buying power as inflation increases.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/File

Many older Americans are finding it even harder to keep up with the ever-rising cost of living these days.

If this is true for you, tell us more about it in the form below:

Trump family promotes coins commemorating White House UFC fight

2026-06-09T22:57:57.401Z / CNN

By Adam Cancryn

32 min ago

PUBLISHED Jun 9, 2026, 6:57 PM ET

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he meets with UFC fighters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 6, 2026.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File

Summary

• The Trump family is promoting commemorative coins priced up to $12,000 for the White House UFC fight this weekend.
• The coins are being marketed as a collaboration between UFC and the Trump Organization, run by the president’s sons.
• The event coincides with Trump’s 80th birthday and is being promoted as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

As President Donald Trump prepares to host a UFC fight at the White House this week, his family is promoting a venture aimed at profiting off the spectacle by selling gold coins priced as high as $12,000.

The “Freedom 250”-themed silver and gold medallions feature Trump’s face and are being marketed as a collaboration between the UFC and the Trump Organization, which is run by the president’s sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr.

The coins, which are being sold in advance of Sunday’s fight, have been dubbed “Trump Coins” on a website that also boasts they were “designed by President Trump.” There are four coins for sale, ranging from a silver one that costs nearly $250 to a $11,999.99 gold medallion whose holder comes with a portrait of Trump and UFC chief Dana White.

The Trump Organization appears only to be licensing the president’s brand for the coins and is not manufacturing or selling them.

But the collaboration marks the Trump family’s latest involvement in efforts to cash in on his return to the White House — and yet another example of the president’s eagerness to put his name on an array of products, events and initiatives related to his administration.

Trump’s sons have licensed his name to promote phones, fragrances, cryptocurrency, golf courses and a range of other business ventures, drawing scrutiny for the unprecedented profits the Trump family has reaped through their close association with the commander in chief.

In response to questions about Trump’s involvement in the coin’s design and marketing, White House spokesman Davis Ingle rejected any suggestion of a conflict of interest.

“The Fake News’ continued attempts to fabricate conflicts of interest are irresponsible and reinforce the public’s distrust in what they read,” he said, adding that “Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public.”

The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump has talked up the UFC fight for weeks, while closely overseeing the construction of a giant staging area on the White House South Lawn called “The Claw” that now towers over the executive mansion.

And while the event is billed as part of the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, it is also set to take place on Trump’s 80th birthday.

That has prompted a lawsuit filed by two Virginia residents seeking to stop the fight.They argue it will financially benefit White and Trump, citing a report from the spring that Trump bought $50,000 in stock in UFC’s parent company.

The fight “is not in any material sense a ‘celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence’—it is, instead, a celebration of the UFC’s brand and the 80th anniversary of Donald Trump’s birth,” the lawsuit alleges.

A federal judge has ordered the administration to respond to the lawsuit by Tuesday evening.

In the meantime, Trump and the UFC have pressed ahead as planned — as has the Trump Organization’s coin collaboration, which sought on its website to box out any competitors by asserting its product was the only one approved by the president himself.

“These are the only officially licensed Donald J. Trump medallions on the market,” the website reads. “Other Trump-themed bullion or numismatic products might be unlawful, and more importantly, none of them has an actual connection to Donald J. Trump – ours are the only medallions authorized and endorsed/designed by President Trump himself.”

Grand juror called DOJ’s controversial Chicago protest indictment ‘a crock’ before it was approved, transcript shows

2026-06-09T22:37:30.667Z / CNN

By Katelyn Polantz

PUBLISHED Jun 9, 2026, 6:37 PM ET

Protesters are enveloped in a cloud of gas released by federal agents while they attempt to block a vehicle at the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on September 19, 2025, in Broadview, Illinois.

Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service/Getty Images

Summary

• Newly released transcripts show a grand juror told prosecutors a proposed indictment was “a crock.”
• The US Attorney’s Office in Chicago has faced a crisis in recent weeks over its handling of those grand jury proceedings.
• The Justice Department dropped all charges in the case last month after a judge found the grand jury process improper.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

Some grand jurors in Chicago told the Justice Department in October they were skeptical of a proposed indictment of six Democratic politicians and activists who had protested outside a federal immigration detention center outside Chicago, according to newly released transcripts of the October grand jury sessions.

“Do you have unlimited tries?” one grand juror asked prosecutors a week after the grand jury had already voted against the indictment. The Justice Department was trying again.

Related article US Attorney Andrew Boutros at his office in the Dirksen US Courthouse in April 2025 in Chicago. E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Getty Images Justice Department rushes to defense of Chicago US attorney after weeks of turmoil 9 min read

A federal judge in Chicago on Tuesday authorized the release of several pages of transcripts from October grand jury proceedings where the protesters, now known as the “Broadview Six,” were charged. It is exceedingly rare for full grand jury transcripts, showing prosecutors’ interactions with the grand jury members analyzing a possible criminal case, to be made public.

In recent weeks, the grand jury issues in the Broadview Six case have sent the US Attorney’s Office in Chicago, and its US Attorney Andrew Boutros, into crisis. Pushback from defense attorneys and scrutiny from judges — on the Broadview Six case and others — will continue following the release of the transcripts.

A judge had already characterized the exchanges as improper. She noted in a hearing in May that line prosecutors vouched for their evidence and injected their own views into the proceedings. The judge said the prosecutors had sent home a grand juror who indicated they would vote no on the indictment, a week after the indictment failed to win support last October.

The grand jury was meeting every Thursday last fall to examine cases prosecutors proposed. This case was presented to the same grand jury three weeks in a row in October, but not all grand jurors needed to be present each session.

After one grand juror asked if there were new facts to add to the case, one of the prosecutors responded, “I’m feeling the skepticism already. Are you going to be able to listen with an open mind? Tell me the truth.”

“I heard this case like last week and I thought it was a crock of shit then and I still think it is,” the unnamed grand juror responded, according to the newly released transcripts.

The prosecutor then excused the grand juror — an approach so problematic, the US attorney’s office cut short the session without asking the grand jury to vote again.

A week later, the grand jury approved an indictment of the Broadview Six — its third session about the case.

The US attorney’s office dropped the charges against them last month shortly after the judge, April Perry, read the previously secret grand jury transcripts.

“These transcripts prove that the grand jury in the Broadview 6 case repeatedly attempted to say ‘no’ to this sham political indictment,” Christopher Parente, an attorney for one of the Broadview Six defendants, said in a statement on Tuesday. “This DOJ has violated the good faith foundation of the grand jury process to weaponize indictments and subvert the law.”

Continued fallout

The situation also has raised questions about the possible involvement of Justice Department political leadership in the Chicago office’s prosecution efforts of the Democratic activists. Last week, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche voiced his support for Boutros.

However, a lower-level prosecutor told the grand jury on the Broadview Six case in October, “I do not want to touch politics with a ten-foot pole,” and that “we’re putting blinders on to politics,” given that the case involved federal immigration law enforcement, according to the newly released transcripts.

More than 100 alumni of the office, including several well-known former federal prosecutors, issued a written statement on Monday saying they believed the office was suffering from “a failure of leadership” and that “once-forbidden political considerations are infecting prosecutorial decisions.”

Also this week, defense attorneys in at least two other cases in the Northern District of Illinois’ trial-level court have raised the Broadview Six grand jury debacle as reason for judges to review prosecutors’ work in other criminal cases.

Boutros has boasted about his aggressive approach to charging cases, especially related to gun crimes, and also says he’s “spent the last year righting the ship through significant changes and reforms,” according to a statement his office posted on social media yesterday.

Republican Steve Hilton will advance to November election in California governor’s race, CNN projects

2026-06-09T23:37:57.516Z / CNN

By Kaanita Iyer, Arit John

Updated 22 min ago

Updated Jun 9, 2026, 7:38 PM ET
PUBLISHED Jun 9, 2026, 7:37 PM ET

California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton speaks during his campaign watch party in Huntington Beach, California, U.S. June 2, 2026.

Mike Blake/Reuters

Republican Steve Hilton will advance to the November election in California’s gubernatorial race, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.

Hilton, a former Fox News host who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement, will face former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat.

Hilton and Becerra were among a crowded field of contenders in Tuesday’s primary election who vied to succeed term-limited incumbent Gov. Gavin Newsom. Billionaire Democratic candidate Tom Steyer, who spent more than $200 million on his gubernatorial campaign, will finish in third place.

Key Race
Advances to general

Governor: California

| CANDIDATE | VOTES |
| — | — |
| Xavier Becerra Democratic | 27.9% 2,336,013 |
| Steve Hilton Republican | 25.0% 2,090,349 |
| Tom Steyer Democratic | 22.6% 1,890,642 |
| Chad Bianco Republican | 10.1% 846,239 |
| Katie Porter Democratic | 4.4% 367,219 |

Est.

88%
votes in

Updated 7:59 p.m. ET, Jun. 9

Advances to general

Concern had grown among Democrats that their scattered field of candidates could split the vote enough for Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, another Republican in the primary, to be the top two vote-getters in the contest. But Trump’s endorsement of Hilton in April helped consolidate GOP support.

Hilton responded to similar comments in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett this week, saying, “I think that actually this year could be different.” He claimed Californians are frustrated with high taxes and that a majority of them believe the state is going in the wrong direction.

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Top political forecaster: no way a Trump pick becomes CA gov

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Top political forecaster: no way a Trump pick becomes CA gov

3:03

After working in British politics, Hilton moved to California in 2012. He focused his campaign on affordability issues, blaming Democratic leadership in California for high costs and vowing to reduce bureaucracy in the state. He has argued California voters are ready for a change after 16 years of unified Democratic party control.

Hilton now faces a steep uphill climb in November’s election. There are roughly 4.6 million more registered Democrats than there are Republicans in California, according to the state’s most recent voter registration statistics. California hasn’t elected a Republican governor in 20 years, when voters gave Arnold Schwarzenegger a second term.

Meanwhile, Becerra, who previously served as a Los Angeles-area US congressman and California attorney general, ran on his years of experience in various governmental roles and argued that only someone who had managed crises could fix California’s problems.

However, he weathered attacks on his record, particularly his handling of the child migrant crisis and the mpox outbreak during former President Joe Biden’s administration. He also faced criticism over his former chief of staff pleading guilty to a fraud charge related to a scheme to siphon money from a Becerra campaign account. Becerra has not been accused of any wrongdoing by law enforcement.

The race faced a major shakeup in April when then-Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out and resigned from Congress following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has strongly denied. Swalwell was seen as the front-runner, but the vacuum left by his exit was quickly filled by Becerra.

Watchdog finds waste and unsanitary conditions at ICE facility inside Fort Bliss

2026-06-09 16:41 EDT / CBS News

By Camilo Montoya-Galvez
Camilo Montoya-Galvez Immigration Correspondent
Camilo Montoya-Galvez is the Immigration Correspondent at CBS News, where his reporting is featured across multiple programs and platforms, including national broadcast shows, CBS News 24/7, CBSNews.com and the organization’s social media accounts.

Read Full Bio

Updated on: June 9, 2026 / 4:43 PM EDT / CBS News

A government watchdog found major problems with the Trump administration’s efforts to hold immigrant detainees inside the Fort Bliss Army base in Texas, including millions of dollars in waste, unsanitary conditions and inadequate tuberculosis control measures, as well as a lost firearm.

From August 2025 to March 2026, the facility, known as Camp East Montana, suffered a host of serious incidents, including two deaths that were investigated by the Government Accountability Office. According to the GAO’s report, one detainee’s death by asphyxiation in January was determined by an autopsy to be a homicide and is now under a criminal investigation. Another detainee died by suicide in January after being left “unattended for intervals longer than 15 minutes,” the report said.

In another incident in January, a security guard lost a loaded firearm inside the facility. As of March, the gun still had not been found.

File: Entrance to series of hardened tents at Camp East Montana immigrant detention center in the desert at a U.S. Army base on the outskirts of El Paso, Texas, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Morgan Lee / AP

Detainees with chronic health conditions did not receive proper care, the GAO also said, citing the lack of treatment plans for those with HIV or diabetes.

Camp East Montana is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency’s largest detention facility, with a capacity of 5,000 detainees. In its report, the GAO said the issues were linked to a rushed construction and contracting process.

“While the Army and ICE’s planning and acquisition approach for Camp East Montana enabled them to award the contract quickly, it contributed to negative outcomes during facility operations,” the GAO said.

“These issues contributed to waste of government resources and threats to the health and life of detained noncitizens and staff at the facility,” the watchdog added.

The Defense Department announced the building of Camp East Montana last summer, touting it as the “largest federal detention center in history.” The Army initially awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 billion to a contractor the GAO later found had no experience providing detention services.

According to the report, the Army used a process that did not incorporate flexibility in its contract to adjust for expenses when the facility was not at capacity.

This meant that from Aug. 1 to Aug. 15, 2025, when there were no detainees at the facility, the Army “wasted” up to $11.5 million on the full cost of meals, transportation, guards and medical services, the report said.

After the facility started operations, it paid an additional $423,000 for meals it did not need while the facility was operating below its designated capacity through Sept. 30, 2025, according to the report. After ICE took over the contract, it paid about $7.1 million for meals it did not need from Oct. 1, 2025, through March 12, 2026.

The contract did not include a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan, which the GAO said is used to measure contractor performance and quality. ICE contracting officials told the GAO that this caused significant challenges conducting oversight and addressing problems.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said ICE is “upgrading,” and has contracted a new provider at Camp East Montana.

“This new contractor will allow Camp East Montana to continue abiding by the highest detention standards WITH the ability to provide MORE medical care on-site,” DHS said. “This contract also allows more on-site staff and a PRECISE quality assurance surveillance plan. ICE will have even more oversight of the contractors at this facility. Far from closing, Camp East Montana is upgrading.”

The GAO found that because the contractor at one point was not regularly cleaning dormitories, resulting in unsanitary conditions, “some contract security guards offered detained noncitizens cookies in exchange for cleaning their own dormitories.”

The GAO recommended that ICE pursue flexible contracts, ensure that new facilities meet standards, and that DHS and the Army identify lessons learned for future acquisitions.

The Defense Department said it would implement the recommendation but disagreed with the GAO’s report, arguing that the GAO relied too heavily on information from ICE officials. In response, the GAO said its findings concluded that both DHS and the Army “made decisions that contributed to the serious challenges at Camp East Montana.” The Army said that it had no response beyond what is contained in the report.

Republicans send $70 billion in ICE and border patrol funding to Trump’s desk

2026-06-09T21:27:24.632Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/09/politics/house-passes-ice-border-patrol-funding-trump

• House Republicans passed a $70 billion immigration enforcement package Tuesday after months of internal party conflict.
• Some Republicans sought to enact a prohibition on Trump’s controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, but that ultimately did not make it into the legislative package.
• The package also does not include funding for Trump’s White House ballroom project, despite a push from administration officials.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

House Republicans on Tuesday sent a $70 billion immigration enforcement package to President Donald Trump’s desk, ending a months-long fight that exposed major cracks in the party.

The move will now fully fund the Department of Homeland Security — specifically, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and US Customs and Border Protection funding — for the rest of Trump’s second term. Republicans made the measure their top legislative priority this spring, after Democrats successfully blocked Congress from approving a single dollar for ICE or border patrol after federal agents killed two US citizens in Minnesota.

But the push wasn’t easy. The top two GOP leaders were at times sharply at odds over shutdown strategy. The package nearly collapsed in the Senate because of Republican opposition to Trump’s push for a Justice Department settlement fund that critics say would act as a slush fund for his allies. Ahead of the final vote Tuesday, the bill ran into drama in the House as hardliners demanded that party leaders promise to take up a strict immigration crackdown bill — despite GOP opposition inside the narrowly divided House.

The House passed the bill by a 214-212 party-line vote, with independent Rep. Kevin Kiley of California voting against it.

Kiley cited the lack of limits on federal immigration enforcement and the process taken to pass the bill as part of his decision to note vote with with GOP conference on the package.

“We didn’t see that: body cameras, training, identification, judicial warrants to enter homes, not enforcement zones around schools,” he said. “I think the vast majority of Americans support this.”

And, Kiley noted, instead of relying on the normal appropriations process to approve the spending, lawmakers relied on a workaround called budget reconciliation. “Polarization in Congress is at an all-time high right now, and I think that this is going to make things worse,” he said.

The bill’s final passage comes despite a growing number of rank-and-file defections on Capitol Hill in recent weeks. Those months of negotiation — and tension — underscored the frailty of the Republican majorities, at a time when lawmakers are increasingly worried about their political futures amid the president’s approval ratings.

Ultimately, Trump is getting nearly everything he had initially sought. Republicans are approving the ICE money without any new reforms or oversight for an agency that’s drawn heavy scrutiny in the wake of the fatal shootings.

“This bill breaks the Democrats’ stranglehold over ICE and CBP funding,” GOP Rep. Tom McClintock of California said on the House floor.

Republicans in the end did not pass any measures to kill the president’s “anti-weaponization” fund, which members of his party warned could grant payouts to rioters who attacked police officers during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has told lawmakers that the fund would not move forward, but some Senate Republicans had still sought to enact a prohibition on the fund as part of the legislation.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, a long-time immigration rights activist, accused Republicans of passing the bill with “no guardrails” — while throwing $70 billion more to ICE.

“With $70 billion, we could end homelessness in America,” said Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky. “Just about anything would be better than giving it to ICE.”

One major Trump priority that was dropped: His push for $1 billion in security upgrades for the White House, including $200 million for his East Wing ballroom project.

The Senate GOP’s initial text included nearly $1 billion for “security adjustments and upgrades” to the White House ballroom project, as well as other pots of security money after the White House Correspondent’s dinner shooting this spring. Administration officials had sought to clarify that only about $200 million would go toward the East Wing project, with the rest going toward other security efforts. But a number of Senate Republicans balked at the plan, which was also ruled against by the chamber’s rules’ referee.

The final hours ahead of passage in both chambers saw significant drama as Republicans hold-outs sought last-minute promises on the package.

In the Senate, multiple GOP senators initially held up the package over opposition to Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund — but ultimately fell in line and voted for the bill. In the end, only Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against it.

In the House, more than a dozen GOP hardliners withheld their votes for a key procedural vote on Tuesday as they made a last-ditch push to secure concessions. But they, too, ultimately fell in line.

The hardliners had stalled all House floor action on the $70 billion bill in an effort to secure a separate vote on their own hardline immigration policy bill, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

It’s unclear if they secured that promise to bring up the immigration crackdown bill — which would almost certainly fail if it ever came up for a floor vote.

This story has been updated with additional details.