NEED TO KNOW

• Senate Republicans called off votes on a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill rather than face Democratic Anti-Weaponization Fund amendments.
• Susan Collins, the top Senate appropriator, said she does "not support" the fund as described.
• Trump's June 1 deadline for the immigration bill will almost certainly be missed.

WASHINGTON (TDR) — Senate Republican leadership shelved votes on Trump's $70 billion immigration enforcement bill Thursday after a closed caucus meeting where almost no member rose to defend the $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund. Senators left for Memorial Day recess without resolution.

The big picture: The fund became radioactive inside the GOP caucus faster than any policy item this year. Republican senators said they were blindsided by the DOJ announcement and balked at Democratic amendments designed to force votes against MAGA payouts.

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• "Hardly any members spoke up" to defend the fund per CNN's account of the closed meeting.
• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told CNN she does "not support the weaponization fund as it has been described."
• Senate Majority Leader John Thune said members had "very legitimate questions."

Why it matters: Trump demanded the immigration bill on his desk by June 1. That deadline is now almost certainly dead, with the structural cause being a fund his own DOJ announced three days earlier.

• The bill would deliver tens of billions to ICE and Border Patrol per PBS.
• Democrats forced the issue by threatening fund-restriction amendments.
• A $1 billion White House ballroom security provision is also being dropped.

Driving the news: Acting AG Todd Blanche appeared on Capitol Hill Thursday and failed to convince Collins or other Republican appropriators. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) called the fund a legal "slush fund." House Judiciary Republicans tabled Rep. Jamie Raskin's subpoena motion for Blanche, Bessent, and the IRS Commissioner.

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• Rep. Kevin Kiley (R/I-Calif.) sided with Democrats on the subpoena vote.
• Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said the immigration bill is "back to square one."
• Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said the fund "will need some attention to keep us on track."

What they're saying:

• Sen. Susan Collins, Senate Appropriations Chair — "I do not support the weaponization fund as it has been described."
• Sen. John Thune, Senate Majority Leader — "Our members have very legitimate questions about it. We've had conversations about how we might make sure it's fenced in appropriately."

Yes, but: Republican leadership did not roll out any coordinated push to actively sink the fund, per Roll Call. The opposition is internal caucus discomfort and procedural avoidance, not formal repeal. Trump retains executive control of commission appointments and the underlying DOJ memo stands.

• The Senate immigration bill's procedural failure does not invalidate the fund itself.
• Treasury still must transfer the $1.776 billion within 60 days of the DOJ memo.
• Trump endorsed Texas AG Ken Paxton against Sen. John Cornyn this week, adding tension.

Between the lines: Three days after the DOJ announcement, the fund cost Trump his June 1 immigration deadline. That transmission ratio from policy to political damage is rare. The structural truth: a fund built around a discretionary commission, Trump appointees, and a first claimant who is a Trump insider seeking $2.7 million gave Republican senators nothing to defend on the floor.

• Collins faces a tough 2026 reelection in Maine, sharpening her calculus.
• Thune's leadership is being tested by Trump's Cornyn primary endorsement the same week.

What's next:

• Senators return after Memorial Day recess with the fund still operational.
• The Dunn-Hodges federal lawsuit moves toward its first hearing.
• The Caputo $2.7 million claim tests what the commission will pay.

If a fund Trump's own DOJ created blew up his June 1 immigration deadline in 72 hours, who exactly is the policy serving?

Sources

This report was compiled using reporting from CNN, PBS NewsHour, Roll Call, CNN on Fitzpatrick, The Hill on Fitzpatrick legislative options, The Hill on the Raskin bill, The Hill on Caputo and Thune, NBC News, and AOL/Independent on the Capitol Police lawsuit

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