US Senate clears key hurdle in bid to fund two immigration agencies

US Senate clears key hurdle in bid to fund two immigration agencies8 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAna Faguy,on Capitol HillandJames FitzGeraldGetty ImagesThe US Senate has cleared a key hurdle as Congress looks to secure funding for two immigration enforcement agencies and allow the government to reopen in full.In a late-night voting session, Republicans in the upper chamber of Congress used a procedural manoeuvre that did not require the support of opposition Democrats.Democrats have been refusing to fund the two agencies, unless they are reformed in the wake of two deadly shootings by the agencies' operatives in the state of Minnesota.Both Thursday's resolution, and a separate measure aimed at unlocking funding for the rest of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), now require approval from the House. It is not clear when the lower chamber might take up either measure. House Republicans have sometimes taken a different approach to the issue to their colleagues in the upper chamber.The measure passed in the early hours of Thursday is designed to specifically fund the two agencies, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), until the end of President Donald Trump's term.The Senate had previously passed the separate measure that would fund the rest of the wider DHS, of which both agencies are a part.The top Republican in the Senate, John Thune, hailed Thursday morning's result, but acknowledged that there was still "a multi-step process ahead of us".Republicans used a procedure that allows lawmakers to pass spending-related matters with a simple Senate majority - after negotiations with Democrats proved ineffective. It passed by 50 votes to 48. Two Republican senators who frequently break with the Trump administration joined Democrats to vote against it, and another did not vote.Voting dragged on until about 03:30 local time (07:30 GMT), as Democrats tabled a series of amendmen...