GOP races to fund immigration enforcement. And, U.S. indicts former Cuban president

GOP races to fund immigration enforcement. And, U.S. indicts former Cuban president Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today's top stories Republicans in Congress are racing to approve $72 billion in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol through the rest of President Trump's term. The GOP is using a tool known as budget reconciliation to bypass Democrats who oppose more agency funding without reforms that limit officers' tactics. Trump is unhappy with the package because it doesn't include funding for the White House ballroom. Several Republicans, including Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, said they would oppose the budget if it included ballroom funding. Cassidy just lost his primary after the president backed another candidate. The senator remains a voting member of Congress until January. toggle caption Heather Diehl/Getty Images 🎧 Congressmembers like Cassidy have the opportunity to disrupt the status quo on their way out of their positions, NPR's Sam Gringlas tells Up First. Other members who aim to stay in office are less likely to defy the president. So far, Cassidy has opposed the ballroom funding and cast the crucial vote to advance the Iran war powers resolution, despite having opposed it in the past. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a Republican known for frequently breaking with Trump, pointed out that the president may have forgotten that he needs Congress to advance his agenda. She added that Trump's attacks on incumbent Republicans could backfire and harm the party's chances in November. on their way out of their positions, NPR's Sam Gringlas tells Up First. Other members who aim to stay in office are less likely to defy the president. So far, Cassidy has opposed the ballroom funding and cast the crucial vote to advance the Iran war powers resolution, despite having opposed it in the past. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a Republican known for frequently breaking with Trump, pointed out that the president may have forgotten that he needs Congress to advance his agenda. She added that Trump's attacks on incumbent Republicans could backfire and harm the party's chances in November. ➡️ House Republicans and Democrats voted yesterday to pass a bill to tackle the nation's housing affordability crisis. The legislation aims to encourage homebuilding and to ban corporate landlords from buying more than 350 houses. Sponsor Message Trump told reporters yesterday that it might take several days to decide whether to launch another strike on Iran, but he didn't commit to a specific timeline. The president also said the U.S. is now negotiating with impressive Iranian negotiators. Iran said it's prepared for either outcome: peace or continued conflict. Israel has pushed for the war to resume, while several Gulf Arab countries oppose it. 🎧 Gulf Arab states were not consulted before the war began, and received little to no warning to prepare defenses, NPR's Aya Batrawy says. Yet they've faced the brunt of Iran's counterattacks. This week, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a tense and contentious call. A person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that Netanyahu railed against a proposed deal to end the war. Trump told the prime minister that he would persist in seeking a deal to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but Iran must demonstrate flexibility. Iran says that it favors diplomacy, but its military commanders are threatening to escalate the conflict if Iran is attacked again. Batrawy says Iran's continued control of the Strait of Hormuz is its most important leverage now. Sponsor Message The U.S. Department of Justice has secured a criminal indictment for Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba. The department alleges that Castro played a key role in shooting down two U.S. planes in 1996. The attack killed four people who were part of the anti-Castro activist group Brothers to the Rescue. The Justice Department is charging Castro and other former senior members of Cuban leadership with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft and four individual counts of murder, according to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. 🎧 The Trump administration has intensified pressure on Cuba since the successful U.S. military operation that captured Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, says NPR's Ryan Lucas. The administration has since ordered a blockade of Cuba, cutting off fuel shipments to the island and plunging the country's economy into freefall. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel posted on X that the indictment was a politically motivated act without legal basis. Díaz-Canel also accused the U.S. of fabricating details to justify a military action against Cuba. Thousands of researchers across the U.S. continue to grapple with the damag