FULL PRESSER: Trump signs bill to fund ICE, DHS through his remainder of presidential term

President Donald Trump signed the nearly $70 billion immigration enforcement bill on Wednesday after the House narrowly approved the measure, providing funding for ICE and Border Patrol operations through the remainder of Trump's term. Speaking before signing the bill, Trump said the funding would ensure ICE and Border Patrol have the resources needed to "protect our borders" and remove "criminal aliens" from the country. "The Secure America Act provides $38 billion to ICE, $26 billion to Border Patrol, to ensure these critical law enforcement agencies have the necessary resources to do their jobs, protecting our borders and getting criminal aliens out of the country," Trump said. Trump also accused Democrats of trying to block Department of Homeland Security funding and said the legislation would help continue efforts to combat crime, drug trafficking and child exploitation while expanding immigration enforcement nationwide. "Congressional Democrats tried to block all funding for the Department of Homeland Security in a reprehensible attempt to throw open the borders of the United States of America," Trump said. The Secure America Act provides "the resources needed to keep our border secure, combat human trafficking, stop the flow of deadly drugs, dismantle criminal cartels, and enforce America's immigration laws," the White House said in a statement. Democrats repeatedly opposed the legislation, particularly after the Trump administration expanded ICE operations in U.S. cities. Critics pointed to recent incidents in Minneapolis that resulted in the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. "Republicans have now come back for more, to give ICE and Donald Trump's violent mass deportation machine another $70 billion blank check, with no oversight, no accountability and no guardrails," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. Speaker Mike Johnson argued the funding was necessary and long overdue. "We have to fund border security and immigration enforcement, and it's sad that Republicans have to do it on our own," Johnson said. _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: https://www.facebook.com/KOMONews/ https://twitter.com/komonews http://instagram.com/komo4 https://www.tiktok.com/@komo4seattle Download our iOS App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/komo-news-mobile/id433508161?mt=8 Download our Android App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.newssynergy.komo&hl=en Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: 206.404.4000 KOMO News (ABC 4) provides the latest breaking news, sports, weather, traffic, and local event coverage in the Seattle and Western Washington/Puget Sound area, including Bellevue, Redmond, Renton, Kent, Tacoma, Bellingham, Yakima, and surrounding communities. This video and all Sinclair Broadcast Group content archives of local news and sports coverage are available for your use. For more information, contact us at [email protected] #komo #komonews #komo4 #komo4news #seattle #seattlenews #washingtonnews