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Featured Issue: FY2018 Appropriations

4/19/18 AILA Doc. No. 17071835. Admissions & Border, Removal & Relief
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On March 23, 2018, President Trump signed H.R. 1625 (P.L. 115-141), the FY2018 omnibus (Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018) into law.

Play by play of the congressional action to pass an omnibus for FY2018

On July 27, 2017, the House passed H.R. 3219, an appropriations package that attached $1.6 billion for the construction of the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to funding for the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Military Construction, and Energy.

Acknowledging that the Senate was not going to take up H.R. 3219 as passed, in early September 2017, Congress gave itself a three-month extension to continue working on a funding bill for FY2018 by passing a continuing resolution (P.L. 115-56) to fund the government through December 8, 2017. A week later H.R. 3354, passed out of the House. The bill consolidated the appropriations for Departments of Homeland Security (H.R. 3355) and State, as well as Agriculture, Commerce, Financial Services, Labor, and Transportation. The bill included $44.3 billion in funding for the DHS, slightly over the $44.1 billion President Trump requested in his FY2018 budget proposal. By mid-September, the House passed all of their FY2018 appropriation bills, while the Senate appropriations bills were yet to be considered in committee.

On November 21, 2017, the Senate Committee on Appropriations released text of their DHS funding proposal, but it was never voted on. The Senate also never considered H.R. 3354, and a day before the continuing resolution deadline of December 8, 2017, Congress eked out an additional two weeks (P.L. 115-90) to come to agreement on funding for the federal government. By December 21, 2017, no agreements were made and Congress yet again pushed off voting on an omnibus by passing P.L. 115-96, continuing talks through January 19, 2017. The next bill to be voted through the legislature was not signed by the President until Jan. 22, 2018, closing the government for a weekend. On February 9, 2018, the last bill continuing funding at FY2017 levels was voted on and extended funding through March 23, 2018.

AILA strongly opposed a funding bill that focused on massive increases in immigration enforcement and border security and result in the deportation of thousands of undocumented people with children, family, and other strong ties to the United States.

Read bill text and current congressional actions:

  • Senate Bill: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for FY2018
  • H.R. 3355: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2018
  • H.R. 3219: Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018
  • H.R. 3354: Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018

AILA's Statements and Resources on FY2018 DHS Appropriations


AILA's Statements and Resources on President Trump’s Budget Requests for FY2018 Budget


AILA Member Tools to Speak Out Against Funding for a Massive Deportation Force and Border Wall

AILA and its partners are pushing back strongly on this effort. AILA has several resources to offer, helping our chapters and members battle these costly and ineffective funding bill.


Members of Congress Reject DHS Funding Bill for FY2018