Santa Barbara Rep. Carbajal Decries ‘$70 Billion Blank Check’ to Immigration Enforcement

House Passes $70 Billion Immigration Funding Package

The U.S. House voted 214-212 on Tuesday to approve a $70 billion funding package for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection through the remainder of President Trump's term, ending a four-month standoff over immigration policy.

Santa Barbara Rep. Salud Carbajal voted against the measure, criticizing what he called "a $70 billion blank check" to immigration enforcement agencies. The Santa Barbara Independent reported that all House Democrats opposed the funding bill, which passed along largely partisan lines.

The legislation provides $65 billion to ICE and Border Patrol's existing $181 billion fund, plus an additional $5 billion to the Department of Homeland Security's $12 billion budget, according to NPR's reporting.

Local ICE Activity Expected to Intensify

Carbajal warned that the additional funding will likely restore more aggressive ICE operations in Santa Barbara County, which had employed "quieter tactics" in recent months. The congressman has been monitoring conditions at immigration detention facilities, including a May visit to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center where he met with three Central Coast constituents from Goleta, Santa Maria, and Ojai.

During his facility inspection, Carbajal documented "substandard medical care, inadequate facility maintenance, and a lack of basic essentials like blankets," according to his office. The Adelanto facility, operated by private company GEO Group, currently holds over 2,000 detainees — a dramatic increase from just seven people during a 2023 visit.

The funding comes after federal agents conducted a high-profile raid at Glass House Farms in Carpinteria in July 2025, where Carbajal was denied entry to observe the operation, the Santa Barbara Independent reported.

Four-Month Budget Standoff Ends

The House vote follows the Senate's 52-47 approval of the same measure last Friday. The funding had been blocked for 115 days after Democrats demanded policy changes following the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis in January.

ICE's usual annual budget is about $10 billion, but a $75 billion boost last summer already made it the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency and enabled a hiring surge that doubled its workforce.

The new funding extends through the end of Trump's presidency in 2029, providing three years of guaranteed resources without annual congressional oversight — a departure from typical one-year appropriations that immigration advocates say reduces accountability.

Trump Settlement Fund Remains Controversial

Democrats failed to block Trump's proposed $1.8 billion settlement fund designed to compensate individuals who claim political targeting. Carbajal specifically criticized the measure for failing to ban this "slush fund designed to reward the criminals who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6th."

The package also includes $350 million for immigration enforcement in areas that don't cooperate with federal immigration authorities — a provision that could affect sanctuary jurisdictions in California.

What's Next

The legislation now heads to President Trump's desk for his signature. Immigration advocacy groups warn that the multi-year funding structure eliminates traditional congressional oversight mechanisms, such as annual reporting requirements on detention data and treatment of pregnant women in custody.

Carbajal's statement emphasized his opposition to mass detention policies: "ICE has become an out‑of‑control agency using extreme tactics that terrorize our communities — including right here on the Central Coast. They should not receive a single additional dollar until they undergo commonsense reforms."

The congressman plans to continue monitoring local ICE operations and detention facility conditions as enforcement activities are expected to increase with the new funding.