Senate Republicans have postponed a vote on funding immigration enforcement operations ahead of a long holiday weekend, in a rare show of political backlash against President Donald Trump.

The Republican-led chamber had planned to vote on a $72 billion bill to fuel Trump's mass deportation campaign. However, two recent decisions by the Trump administration sparked pushback from within the president's own party.

The first involved a newly unveiled 'anti-weaponization' fund announced Monday as part of a lawsuit settlement. Trump had sued the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over a contractor who leaked his tax refunds around 2019. Critics say the lawsuit posed a conflict of interest, with Trump empowered to negotiate with his own appointees. The settlement set aside nearly $1.776 billion for recipients deemed unfairly treated by the government.

Senate Republicans summoned acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to question the settlement. Nebraska Senator Don Bacon told reporters, 'He's lost some support in the Senate. He's the plaintiff and the boss of the defendants. So just on the surface, it smells.' Senator Thom Tillis called the fund 'stupid on stilts.'

Another source of pushback was Trump's request for $1 billion to build a White House ballroom. Trump had previously pledged no taxpayer funds would be needed, but recently pushed to add the cost to the immigration bill, arguing it was necessary for national security.

On Wednesday, Senate Republican leadership indicated the ballroom funding would be removed. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said of the bill, 'It was supposed to be very narrow, targeted, focused, clean, straightforward, and it got a little bit more complicated this week.'

The Senate will return from recess in June. Separately, House Republican leadership canceled a vote on a war powers resolution aimed at forcing Trump to seek congressional approval for the US-Israeli war against Iran. Democrats accused Republicans of political maneuvering.

Source: www.aljazeera.com