House Passes Immigration Enforcement Bill With East Wing Security Funding

Republicans introduced a party-line immigration enforcement bill on May 6, 2026, that provides $1 billion for securing President Donald Trump’s East Wing project. The bill allocates the funds for a new structure whose construction would be covered by private donations, while directing the money toward security features that private donors cannot fund.

The East Wing project has an estimated cost of $400 million.

Judiciary Committee leaders added a provision to the bill that blocks any non-security spending on the project. Senate Republicans say the taxpayer funds are needed for the East Wing Modernization Project, including unspecified above-ground and below-ground security features. The $1 billion language in the bill is fairly loose in its current form.

Republicans are proposing the funding for White House security and insist it would go toward long overdue upgrades and not President Trump’s desired ballroom. President Trump has repeatedly said the ballroom project would be built with private dollars. He has repeatedly insisted the ballroom would be fully funded with his own money and private donations.

To advance, 50 of 53 Republican senators will have to support the White House funding provision or the bill is at risk. Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted against the budget resolution. Sen. Rand Paul voted against the budget resolution setting up the party-line bill.

Paul argues that the GOP Senate could put a small amount of money toward the project to address ongoing litigation over whether Congress needs to approve it. Sen. Ron Johnson told Semafor that the funding seems to be a reasonable long-term investment for security reasons and providing a larger venue that is often needed.

Johnson stated he would rather spend federal tax dollars on capital assets versus government programs that are rife with waste and fraud. Many conservatives have sought to authorize the East Wing project without funding it directly. A senior Republican aide said that if there is a billion taxpayer dollars for the ballroom then the whole debate over reconciliation becomes a ballroom debate.