A limited US government shutdown came into force on Saturday after talks between the White House and Democrats in Congress collapsed over proposed new restrictions on federal immigration agents.
It is the third shutdown of Donald Trump’s second term.
The stoppage affects about 13 per cent of the federal civilian workforce and is confined to agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Those affected include the Transportation Security Administration, which is responsible for screening airline passengers.
The shutdown is not expected to end quickly. Lawmakers have left Washington DC for a 10-day recess, limiting the chances of an immediate agreement.
Republican leaders said negotiations would continue remotely and that members could be recalled to Washington if a deal was reached.
In November, a separate dispute led to a much broader federal shutdown that lasted a record 43 days.
Despite the lapse in DHS funding, major disruption is not expected in the short term. However, passengers may experience longer security queues at US airports, particularly if the shutdown drags on.
Disaster response efforts and immigration enforcement could also be affected over time.
TSA officers are required to continue working without pay. US travel industry groups and major airlines warned that prolonged funding gaps could lead to worsening delays at airports.
By contrast, air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration will continue to receive their salaries, reducing the likelihood of large-scale flight cancellations.
One immediate consequence was the cancellation of an official House delegation to the Munich Security Conference.
Several Democratic lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, travelled to the conference independently.
Connecticut Democrat Jim Himes said the group was attending “on our own dime” to reassure US allies.
Colorado Democrat Jason Crow told NBC News that House speaker Mike Johnson had ordered official travel arrangements to be cancelled.
Ocasio-Cortez said Democrats wanted to underline the seriousness of the current moment, describing it as “a new era, domestically and globally”.
At the heart of the shutdown is a dispute over Democratic demands for tighter controls on immigration agents following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis last month.
Proposals include banning agents from wearing face coverings during operations and requiring judicial warrants before making arrests in private homes. Republicans have largely rejected these measures.
The shutdown does not halt operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection, both of which were funded under last year’s budget.
Ahead of the shutdown, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries criticised Johnson for adjourning Congress instead of continuing negotiations.
He said Democrats had “drawn a hard line” and insisted that ICE required sweeping reform.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer dismissed a White House proposal as unserious and later posted footage on X showing immigration agents using force during arrests.
He said Democrats would oppose further ICE funding until violence by agents ended.
Senate majority leader John Thune accused Democrats of seeking political advantage rather than a resolution.
Trump told reporters on Friday that talks were ongoing but said law enforcement must be protected, adding that Democrats had “gone crazy”.
