# Senate GOP includes $1B for ballroom security in immigration bill  
**Published:** 2026-05-05T17:30:25.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/05/repub/us-senate-gop-wants-1-billion-for-security-for-trumps-ballroom-in-immigration-bill/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/senate-gop-includes-1b-for-ballroom-security-in-immigration-bill

[Senate Republicans released a roughly $70 billion spending package Monday night](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/05/repub/us-senate-gop-wants-1-billion-for-security-for-trumps-ballroom-in-immigration-bill/) to keep Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operating through President Donald Trump's term, but the legislation also includes a contentious $1 billion provision for security upgrades related to Trump's White House ballroom project.

[The measure includes $1 billion "to support enhancements by the United States Secret Service relating to the East Wing Modernization Project,"](https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/reconciliation_-_senate_judiciary_committee_title.pdf) the 90,000-square-foot ballroom being constructed where the 123-year-old East Wing once stood. The language specifies the funds are for "above-ground and below-ground security features" only.

Trump had the East Wing bulldozed in October to make way for the ballroom project, which is now estimated to cost up to $400 million. The president previously pledged the project would be entirely privately funded through donations. The inclusion of taxpayer dollars for security marks a significant shift, though White House officials have said the ballroom is critical for national security when top officials are gathered, citing an April 25 incident in which a gunman opened fire at a Washington Hilton dinner attended by Trump.

The broader $70 billion package addresses longstanding political gridlock over immigration enforcement funding. The standoff began after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis in January — Renée Good and Alex Pretti — prompting Democrats to demand guardrails on immigration enforcement operations. Republicans refused any bill conditioning immigration funding on Democratic policy demands, leading to a record 76-day Department of Homeland Security shutdown that ended in late April.

The legislation allocates $30.7 billion for ICE operations, $3.47 billion for Customs and Border Protection, and $1.457 billion for the Justice Department through September 2029. An additional $19.1 billion would fund border patrol hiring, while $7.45 billion supports ICE investigative agents.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, said his panel "is taking action to help provide certainty for federal law enforcement and safer streets for American families." Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, criticized the package, saying it shows "Republicans are ignoring the needs of middle-class America and instead funneling money into Trump's ballroom and throwing billions at two lawless agencies."

Republicans plan to pass the bill using budget reconciliation, a parliamentary maneuver that requires only a simple majority and avoids the need to get 60 votes to end debate in the Senate. The House is expected to vote next month to meet Trump's June 1 deadline.

## Sources

- [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/05/repub/us-senate-gop-wants-1-billion-for-security-for-trumps-ballroom-in-immigration-bill/)
- [Senate Judiciary Committee bill text on immigration funding](https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/reconciliation_-_senate_judiciary_committee_title.pdf)
- [PBS NewsHour - Senate Republicans look to fund $1 billion in security upgrades for Trump's ballroom](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-republicans-look-to-fund-1-billion-in-security-upgrades-for-trumps-ballroom)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/05/repub/us-senate-gop-wants-1-billion-for-security-for-trumps-ballroom-in-immigration-bill/.