President Donald Trump signed into law this Wednesday the Secure America Act, legislation that guarantees nearly $70 billion to fund the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) until 2029.

The measure represents one of the White House's main legislative victories on immigration matters and consolidates the border security strategy promoted by the Republican administration since the beginning of Trump's second term.

The approval of the package ended months of confrontations. The House of Representatives gave the green light to the project by a narrow margin of 214 votes to 212, while the Senate had previously approved the initiative through the budget reconciliation mechanism, a tool that allowed Republicans to advance the legislation without depending on Democratic support.

Billions for agents, operations and technology

The law contemplates a significant expansion of the operational capabilities of immigration agencies.

Of the approved resources, $38.5 billion will be allocated to ICE for the hiring, training and remuneration of personnel over the coming years. Included in that item is $7 billion for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the division in charge of prosecuting transnational crimes and criminal networks.

For its part, CBP will receive $22.6 billion to strengthen border surveillance, hire new agents and improve the equipment used at land crossings and ports of entry.

The legislation also sets aside $3.5 billion for border security technology, including surveillance systems, monitoring and intelligence tools.

The biggest immigration bet of Trump's second term

One of the most relevant aspects of the Secure America Act is that the funds will be available until September 2029, an unusual duration compared to traditional federal budgets that are usually approved for a single fiscal year.

The president of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, celebrated the approval of the measure and assured that it will guarantee stable resources for the agencies in charge of enforcing immigration laws.

Following the ruling, Congress relinquished a significant portion of its oversight ability over ICE and CBP spending and operations. In addition, the legislation was approved without incorporating several reforms promoted by Democrats, including the mandatory use of body cameras by immigration agents and greater controls for housing operations.

With the presidential signature, the Trump administration obtains a key tool to sustain its immigration control and border security agenda for the coming years, as the president promised after his second term.