US Government Enters Partial Shutdown Amid Budget Standoff Over Immigration Policy

The United States government entered a partial shutdown early Saturday after Congress failed to approve a federal budget before the midnight funding deadline, amid sharp political divisions over immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump.

The funding lapse took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time, though lawmakers from both parties have indicated the shutdown is likely to be brief, with expectations that the House of Representatives will vote on a Senate-backed funding deal early next week.

After hours of delay, the Senate passed a temporary spending package by a bipartisan vote of 71 to 29. However, the House of Representatives had already adjourned and is not expected to reconvene until Monday, according to a Republican leadership aide as reported by Reuters. 

As a result, the failure to meet the funding deadline triggered a partial shutdown of federal agencies whose budgets are tied to the stalled legislation.

Immigration enforcement dispute 

The breakdown in talks was driven by Democratic opposition to current immigration enforcement tactics, following the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents.

Democrats have demanded that funding for the Department of Homeland Security be rewritten to include stricter oversight and new limits on the conduct of federal agents before agreeing to continue financing the department.

The incident occurred amid a surge in immigration enforcement ordered by Trump in Minnesota’s largest city, intensifying political tensions around DHS operations.

What Democrats are demanding

Democrats are pushing for a series of changes to federal immigration enforcement, including an end to roving patrols, mandatory use of body cameras, a ban on agents wearing face masks, and a requirement that agents obtain search warrants from judges rather than internal DHS officials, as per reports.

Republicans have indicated they are open to discussing some of these proposals but have so far resisted breaking up the broader spending bill to isolate DHS funding.

Under the Senate-approved plan, funding for DHS would be extended for two weeks, allowing lawmakers additional time to negotiate restrictions on immigration enforcement tactics while preventing prolonged disruptions to other government agencies.

The proposal would separate DHS funding from the broader budget, enabling Congress to continue financing departments such as the Pentagon and the Department of Labor while immigration related negotiations continue.

Shutdown expected to be brief

Since 1977, the US government has experienced ten funding gaps lasting three days or fewer, most with limited real-world impact, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Lawmakers have stressed that both parties are working to ensure the immigration dispute does not escalate into a prolonged shutdown. This stands in contrast to the most recent shutdown in late 2025, which lasted 43 days, disrupted air travel and food assistance programmes, furloughed hundreds of thousands of workers, and cost the US economy an estimated $11 billion.

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