Senate Republicans officially eliminated funding for $1 billion in security upgrades to Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom from a larger immigration enforcement bill in early June 2026 [1, 2].
The ballroom security spending had been part of a broader bill that allocated tens of billions of dollars to immigration enforcement agencies, including $31 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and $13 billion for Customs and Border Protection [1]. The revised legislation also set aside $2.5 billion for the Department of Homeland Security [1].
The Senate judiciary committee released the updated bill text on June 3, 2026, removing the ballroom security provision [1, 2]. Senate Republicans moved to begin voting on the bill without the ballroom funding that day [1].
The Senate parliamentarian had ruled in May 2026 that the ballroom spending did not comply with budget reconciliation rules, barring its passage through that expedited process [1, 2]. This ruling was the formal reason given by the White House for the removal of the funding, stating it was due to parliamentary rules rather than a voluntary GOP choice [2]. However, some Republican sources said the funding was dropped because including it risked jeopardizing broader immigration enforcement funding and faced political opposition within GOP ranks [1].
Former President Trump strongly demanded the funding for ballroom security and related Secret Service upgrades, citing a recent assassination attempt at a White House event as justification [1, 2]. Despite Trump’s efforts, Democrats led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer opposed the ballroom funding, threatening political pushback. Schumer said, "Even without Trump’s billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded ballroom – which Democrats successfully killed despite Republicans’ best efforts – this bill is rotten through and through" [1].
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on June 2 the decision to drop the $1 billion ballroom security proposal [1]. Around $200 million of security funding now would go toward Secret Service upgrades instead of the ballroom itself [2].
The next step will be the Senate voting process on the revised immigration enforcement bill without the ballroom security funding, which Republicans planned to start on June 3, 2026 [1].
