Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is poised to oversee the first major legislative package in the new Congress, said Monday that border security will be the “first” priority, topping even tax cuts and spending reforms.

The South Carolina Republican, who is slated to become chair of the Senate Budget Committee, also said he will find a way to pay for the border security changes so they don’t deepen the deficit.

At stake is what’s known as budget reconciliation, a tool to pass legislation through Congress without having to face a filibuster in the Senate. It’s a powerful tool, but one that has limits in terms of how frequently it can be deployed and what issues it can cover.

Mr. Graham made clear he will go for immigration changes.

“While I support spending restrictions and tax cuts, my top priority — and the first order of business in the Senate Budget Committee — is to secure a broken border,” he said in a statement. “The bill will be transformational, it will be paid for, and it will go first.”

His statement came a day after Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to President-elect Donald Trump and incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, urged Congress to put an immigration enforcement bill on Mr. Trump’s desk by February.

Mr. Miller, speaking on Fox News, said he wants to hike the budget for deportations, Border Patrol agents and the border wall.

Mr. Trump has vowed to carry out “mass” deportations of illegal immigrants, starting with criminals. Analysts have said the Department of Homeland Security lacks the capacity — and, under the Biden administration, the will — to carry out that sort of operation.

Mr. Trump has said he will supply the political will.

But U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will need an infusion of cash to fund detention beds, so illegal immigrants can be held instead of released, and to fund flights so those from noncontiguous countries can be sent back.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.