US Senate Republicans block Trump immigration bill over $1.8 bn compensation fund

A group of Republican senators halted a Senate vote on President Donald Trump’s immigration package after discovering a $1.8 billion “compensation fund” bundled into the legislation. The fund is intended to reimburse individuals the administration says were harmed by the Justice Department, but critics argue it would reward supporters who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack and were later prosecuted.

Senators said the proposal, introduced by Justice Secretary Todd Blanche at Trump’s request, threatens the party’s cohesion and could cost Trump support ahead of the 2026 mid‑term elections. Notable dissenters included Thom Tillis, who called the fund “a massive folly,” and Don Bacon, who said Trump “has lost Senate backing.” Because no compromise emerged, Majority Leader John Thune sent the Senate into a Memorial Day recess, postponing the vote that also contained roughly $70 billion in additional funding for ICE, Customs and Border Protection and the Secret Service. A scheduled meeting between Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson was canceled, and the administration’s plan to withdraw a lawsuit against the IRS as part of the deal remains on hold.