The United States federal government has entered a partial shutdown, despite a last-minute funding agreement approved by the U.S. Senate.
The funding lapse officially began at midnight Eastern Time on Saturday, only hours after senators agreed to fund most federal agencies through September 2026. However, the legislation excludes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for a two-week period, leaving agencies responsible for immigration enforcement without full funding.
The bill has not yet been approved by the House of Representatives, which is currently out of session.
President Donald Trump reached the agreement with Democrats after they refused to support additional funding for immigration enforcement following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by federal agents, according to the BBC.
This marks the second government shutdown within a year, occurring just 11 weeks after the previous budget standoff ended. The earlier shutdown, which lasted 43 days, was the longest in U.S. history.
The 2025 shutdown, from October 1 to November 14, had widespread consequences for essential government services, including air traffic operations, and left hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay for weeks.
However, officials expect the current shutdown to be shorter and more limited, as the House of Representatives is scheduled to return to session on Monday.
In the meantime, the White House has instructed several agencies, including the Departments of Transportation, Education, and Defense, to implement shutdown contingency plans.
“Employees should report to work for their next shift to carry out orderly shutdown activities,” the White House said in a memorandum to federal agencies. “Our hope is that this disruption will be brief.”
President Trump has urged Republicans, who hold a majority in the House, to vote in favor of the agreement.
Lawmakers plan to use the two-week DHS funding window to negotiate a broader deal. Democrats are demanding new policies governing immigration enforcement agents, particularly the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We need to rein in ICE and put an end to the violence,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“That means stopping roaming patrols, establishing clear rules, oversight, and judicial warrants. Masks must come off, cameras must stay on, and officers must display visible identification. There must be no secret policing.”
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have strongly criticized the tactics used by immigration agents following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last weekend.
Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during an altercation as several agents attempted to detain him.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation into the incident.
