Funding has lapsed for several US government departments after Congress failed to reach an agreement on new spending measures, triggering a partial government shutdown early on Saturday.
The shutdown follows a standoff in the Senate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), after two US citizens were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis amid Donald Trump’s expanded deportation campaign.
Democratic senators blocked a bill authorising continued funding for DHS, demanding new restrictions on federal immigration agents following the deaths of Alex Pretti last week and Renee Good earlier in January. Both killings occurred after Trump ordered a surge of immigration enforcement officers into Minnesota’s largest city.
The Democratic blockade also disrupted Republican efforts to pass a broader package of legislation to fund several other government departments. The measures needed Senate approval before federal spending authority expired late on Friday.
Democrats say the DHS funding bill must be rewritten to include tighter rules governing the conduct of federal agents. Their demands include bans on agents wearing masks, mandatory body cameras, a formal code of conduct, independent investigations into alleged violations, and a prohibition on so-called “roving patrols” targeting people suspected of being in the country unlawfully.
“These are not radical demands,” Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday. “They’re basic standards the American people already expect from law enforcement.”
On Friday, the Senate passed a package of five measures to fund several government departments through September, along with a separate bill extending DHS funding for two weeks. Both measures must still be approved by the House of Representatives, which is due to reconvene on Monday.
The immediate impact of the shutdown is expected to be limited and may not be felt until Monday, the first full business day affected. In addition to DHS, funding had not yet been finalised for the departments of defence, education, labour, health and human services, transportation, and housing and urban development.
In a memo issued on Friday, Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, instructed affected agencies to begin preparations for an “orderly shutdown”.
“The administration will continue working with Congress to address recently raised concerns to complete appropriations for fiscal year 2026,” Vought wrote, adding that the White House hoped the lapse would be brief.
Trump has indicated he would sign the spending package once it reaches his desk, provided it is approved by Congress.
Negotiations over changes to the DHS bill are expected to continue over the next two weeks. Meanwhile, the fate of the broader funding package in the Republican-controlled House remains uncertain.
House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged on Thursday that a short shutdown was possible before lawmakers return. “The House is going to do its job,” he said. “We want to get the government funded, as does the president.”
Republicans hold a narrow one-seat majority in the House, with 218 seats to the Democrats’ 213. Some right-wing lawmakers are pushing to link the funding legislation to the Save Act, which would impose stricter voter identification requirements. Critics argue the measure would disenfranchise many voters, and its inclusion could further complicate passage of the bills.
Despite the funding lapse, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations are expected to continue. The agency received $75bn under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year, and the administration could require ICE employees to remain at work during a shutdown.
The latest shutdown follows a record 43-day funding lapse that began in October, after Democrats demanded that government funding be paired with an extension of tax credits that lowered premiums under the Affordable Care Act.
That standoff ended after seven moderate Democratic senators joined Republicans to reopen the government, following a promise from Senate majority leader John Thune to allow a vote on extending the tax credits. The measure was later blocked by Republicans, and the subsidies expired at the end of 2025.
