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Update on Appropriations bills

On June 12th, the House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security for the government’s Fiscal Year 2010. Related to immigration, the bill funds: 

  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement at $5.4 billion ($30 million below the President’s request and $439 above the Fiscal 2009 allocation.  Included in the total is $200 million for Secure Communities; $1.5 billion for identifying dangerous criminals and prioritizing these individuals for removal; and $74 million for alternatives to detention ($10 million above the administration’s request).
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at $248 million (not including receipts and expenditures from the Immigration Fee Account, which accounts for most of the USCIS budget).  This is $116 million below the administration’s request, and $110 million above the 2009 level.  $100 million was allocated for refugee and asylum applications for which there is currently no charge and which are currently paid for by surcharges to the fees of other applications.  (The administration asked for $206 million.)  Military naturalization costs will be paid for by the Department of Defense.  $112 million was allocated to operate and improve E-Verify.  $11 million was allocated to expand immigrant integration and outreach to new Americans (the administration asked for $10 million).
  • Customs and Border Protection at $10 billion ($82 million below the administration request and $147 million above the 2009 level). Among other things, this allocation includes: $692 million for Southwest Border investments for Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology ($24.5 million less than requested); $3.5 billion for 20,019 Border Patrol agents, (including 44 new agents) of whom over 17,000 will be based on the Southwest Border.

Both CBP and ICE will receive tens of millions of dollars related to drug interdiction efforts, including efforts to intercept south-bound gun runners.

A summary of the Committee-passed Homeland Security appropriations bill can be found here:
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/HS_FY10_FC_Summary_06-12-09.pdf

The House Appropriations Committee has also approved the Fiscal Year 2010 budget for Commerce, Justice and Science.  In the Department of Justice, that bill includes $1.5 billion for law enforcement along the Southwest border.  A summary of that bill can be found here:
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/CJS_FY10_FC_Summary_06-08-09.pdf

 

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