Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026

Key Points

• Congress is setting the budget for the Department of Homeland Security for 2026. This includes over $18 billion for border protection and $11 billion for immigration enforcement. It also provides $26.5 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund to help communities recover from major emergencies like hurricanes or wildfires.
• The plan changes rules for people seeking asylum. It would generally block asylum for anyone who traveled through another country to get to the U.S. without asking for help there first. It also stops the government from giving work permits to people whose asylum claims have already been denied or who are convicted of crimes while their application is pending.
• The bill includes several social and administrative restrictions. It bans the use of federal money for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs or training. It also prevents the government from taking action against people or groups who act based on a religious belief that marriage should only be between one man and one woman.
• For travelers and local residents, the bill forbids the government from charging any new fees to cross the border by land. It also requires that high-level government officials, including members of Congress and the President's staff, go through the same airport security screening as regular passengers.
• The policy targets local areas by blocking federal grants for cities or counties that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officers. It also requires that all immigrants who are not in detention but have pending court cases be tracked with GPS monitoring until their cases are finished.
• The bill bans the Department of Homeland Security from using funds to perform or pay for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. It also prohibits the department from providing gender-affirming care, such as hormone therapy or surgery, for people in immigration custody.

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