The U.S. government entered a partial shutdown after a budget deadline passed without House action on a 2026 spending plan, but disruption is expected to be limited with the chamber set to return Monday to take up a Senate-backed deal.
The lapse follows a breakdown in negotiations driven by Democratic fury over two recent fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, which derailed talks over new money for the Department of Homeland Security. Senate leaders responded by splitting off DHS funding from the broader package in an effort to keep most agencies operating while lawmakers haggle over immigration enforcement.
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The Senate approved the spending measure 71-29, a bipartisan margin that signaled broad support to avert prolonged disruption. But the House is out of town until Monday, when Republican leaders are expected to bring the measure to the floor, according to a GOP leadership aide.
Both parties have worked to prevent immigration policy disagreements from shutting down other parts of the government. Under the Senate plan, funding for agencies such as the Pentagon and the Department of Labor would move ahead, while DHS would receive a short-term extension to allow negotiators time to reach an agreement on enforcement tactics.
Democrats have demanded new restrictions on federal immigration operations: ending roving patrols, requiring agents to wear body cameras, prohibiting face masks, and mandating that searches be authorized by a judge rather than internal agency officials. Republicans have signaled openness to some changes but want broader talks to continue without jeopardizing core government services.
The standoff intensified after nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, authorities said, the second fatal incident this month involving a U.S. citizen and immigration enforcement in the city. The killing sparked widespread protests and student walkouts across the country demanding a pullback of federal operations in Minnesota. In response, the Trump administration moved to de-escalate enforcement in the region while talks continue, according to officials.
The shutdown could be brief. Congress has a long history of short funding lapses that produce minimal immediate effects. Since 1977, the government has experienced 10 gaps of three days or less, most with limited real-world impact, according to the Congressional Research Service. That stands in stark contrast to last autumn’s shutdown, when Republicans and Democrats dug in over health care and allowed the government to remain closed for a record 43 days, an interruption that the government estimated cost the U.S. economy about $11 billion.
This time, lawmakers in both parties are trying to avoid repeating that damage. The Senate’s approach is designed to keep most government functions intact while channeling the conflict into a narrower fight over DHS policy. If the House ratifies the deal Monday, the partial shutdown would likely end quickly for most agencies, while a two-week DHS extension would preserve pressure on negotiators to resolve the immigration dispute.
What happens next will turn on whether the House swiftly embraces the Senate’s plan and whether the White House and congressional leaders can bridge differences on oversight and tactics for federal immigration agents. With public anger high and lawmakers wary of economic fallout, pressure is building for a short, surgical resolution — and for a longer-term agreement on how immigration enforcement should operate in American communities.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
