James Stout

I don't know.

I don't know if I agree with that entirely, but...

Speaking of that ballroom, the Senate GOP has released a $72 billion reconciliation package to fund ICE and Border Patrol after their funding was removed from the long-fought-after DHS funding package, which finally passed last week.

Yay.

The Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee each released proposed bills that

And this package can pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than 60 votes.

There's also a small provision here for the ballroom, which I'll get to.

But let's start with talking about the other funding.

These bills appropriate over $22.5 billion for U.S.

Customs and Border Protection.

until September 30th, 2029 for hiring, paying, training, equipping agents and necessary support staff, plus other necessary expenses for mission support, operations and maintenance.

I'll draw attention to an extra $3.5 billion allotted for, quote, procurement and integration of new non-intrusive inspection equipment, unquote, which they specify as AI tools to combat drug smuggling at ports of entry.

Yeah, they've been on that one for a while.

I'm guessing it will be their continued facial recognition or pattern recognition stuff.

That's listed also in addition to this AI drug detection inspection tool.

Yeah.

because they also have this $3.5 billion going towards, quote, upgrades and procurement of border surveillance technologies and the deployment of technology relating to the biometric entry and exit system, unquote.

$38 billion is appropriated for ICE for, quote, hiring, paying, training, and equipping personnel, including officers, agents, investigators, attorneys, and support staff to carry out immigration enforcement activities, unquote.

This funding also covers transportation costs, information technology, facility and fleet maintenance, and expanding coordination with local and state officials.

Both the DHS and the DOJ each get a few extra billion for various uses in these bills.