A divided House approved a contentious $4.5 billion emergency funding package to address the border crisis Tuesday, under growing pressure to address the Trump administration’s inhumane treatment of migrants. The bill passed largely along party lines, with some progressive Democrats voting in favor after negotiating to include provisions including new health and safety standards for jailed migrants. Four Democrats voted against the bill: Congressmembers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib. Last week, they issued a statement condemning the bill and calling for the abolition of ICE. Congressmember Omar tweeted, “We should not be giving one more dollar to support this President’s deportation force that openly commits human rights abuses and refuses to be held accountable to the American people. Kids and families can’t continue to die & be terrorized.”
The Senate is slated to consider its own border funding measure this week, including President Trump’s original request for more than a billion dollars for Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.