The Senate has passed a $8 billion package to shore up the U.N. Border Patrol’s border patrol forces amid a massive surge of unaccompanied children crossing the U,S.
border with Mexico, according to a tally released by the White House.
The bill is the first of the president’s five major executive orders to be enacted during the congressional recess.
It also marks the first time since 2006 that the Senate approved a bill this quickly.
The Senate approved the bill Tuesday, marking the first step in a two-year process of the legislation that would fund border enforcement.
The White House said it would have sent the measure to President Trump, who would then sign it.
It was not immediately clear how the House would vote.
Democrats have been critical of the bill.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), a co-sponsor of the Senate bill, said Tuesday that the border security funding is necessary to prevent an even greater number of children from coming across the border.
The president also is expected to sign the legislation into law in the coming days.
The legislation includes funding for the U.-S-19 Border Patrol, which has faced criticism for its role in the surge of children and adults crossing the border in recent weeks.
The Border Patrol has reported a surge of 3,908 apprehensions of children on U.K.-based flights this week, a number that was the highest on record.
The agency said last week that it had intercepted more than 2,000 unaccompanied children from the United States since Jan. 1.
Trump has repeatedly said he is looking to increase funding for border enforcement and has said the border patrol should be given the authority to stop and question anyone who crosses the border illegally.
The administration has also argued that the surge is being driven by a surge in drug cartels.
The House voted Wednesday to approve $5.6 billion in funding to boost the Border Patrol by $827 million.
That measure would extend a $3.9-billion border security package approved in May by the Senate and send it to Trump for his signature.
That bill also would create a new Homeland Security Department office in charge of immigration enforcement and a new Border Patrol office in Washington.
The last major piece of Trump’s border security proposal was the $1.2 trillion border security bill approved in January.
Trump said at the time that he wanted to put in place a new strategy to stop illegal immigration, which is a central pillar of his presidential campaign.