The United States government slipped into a partial shutdown early Saturday after lawmakers failed to meet a midnight deadline to approve the 2026 federal budget, although the disruption is expected to be short-lived as the House of Representatives prepares to act on a Senate-backed agreement early next week.
The funding gap followed a collapse in negotiations sparked by Democratic outrage over the fatal shooting of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, a development that stalled talks on additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“Instead of going after drug smugglers, child predators, and human traffickers, the Trump Administration is wasting valuable resources targeting peaceful protestors in Chicago and Minneapolis,” Senate Democratic Minority Whip Dick Durbin wrote on social media.
“This Administration continues to make Americans less safe.”
With the deadline missed, roughly three-quarters of federal government operations are now impacted, potentially activating shutdown protocols across numerous agencies, including those responsible for education, healthcare, housing, and national defense.
Federal departments were expected to begin executing shutdown contingency plans overnight. However, leaders from both political parties indicated that the Senate’s late action makes a brief disruption far more likely than a drawn-out standoff.
Should the House approve the Senate package as anticipated when it reconvenes early next week, government funding would be restored within days, minimizing the real-world effects on public services, contractors, and federal employees.
If the shutdown stretches beyond a few days, tens of thousands of federal workers could face unpaid furloughs or be required to continue working without immediate pay until funding resumes.
Late Friday, the Senate cleared a legislative package approving five remaining appropriations bills to finance most federal agencies through September. The deal also included a two-week temporary funding measure to keep DHS operational while negotiations continue over immigration enforcement policies.
The House of Representatives was not in session when the deadline elapsed and is not scheduled to return until Monday.
President Donald Trump endorsed the Senate agreement and called for swift action by the House, signaling his desire to avoid a prolonged shutdown—the second of his second term—following last fall’s record-breaking closure that disrupted federal operations for more than a month.
Political backlash
The Senate’s breakthrough only came after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina lifted a procedural hold that had delayed the package late Thursday.
Graham had objected to aspects of the DHS stopgap funding and to House-approved language repealing an earlier provision that allowed senators to sue the Justice Department if their phone records were seized during prior investigations.
He agreed to drop his objections after Senate leaders pledged to schedule future votes on legislation he is sponsoring aimed at tightening rules on so-called “sanctuary cities” that decline to cooperate with federal deportation efforts.
Democrats, meanwhile, remained unified in opposing fresh DHS funding without reforms to immigration enforcement practices following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
The two killings intensified scrutiny of federal agents’ actions and solidified Democratic resistance to approving immigration-related funding without new oversight measures.
Party leaders accused immigration authorities of operating with inadequate accountability and called for reforms such as stricter warrant requirements, limits on certain enforcement tactics, and stronger mechanisms to hold agents responsible for misconduct.
Many US media outlets interpreted the White House’s willingness to separate DHS funding from the broader budget package as an acknowledgment that the administration needs to adjust its deportation strategy in response to the political fallout from the Minneapolis shootings.
Republicans remain divided on the issue.
While some lawmakers have conceded that changes may be necessary following the shootings, more conservative members have warned against concessions they argue could undermine immigration enforcement. Several have indicated they intend to push their own priorities during upcoming DHS negotiations, including measures targeting states and cities that restrict cooperation with federal authorities.
Although Congress has already passed six of the 12 annual appropriations bills, those measures cover only a limited share of discretionary spending. The remaining bills fund major portions of the federal government, making the current lapse significant if it persists.
Late Friday, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo instructing federal agencies to prepare for an “orderly shutdown,” adding:
“It is our hope that this lapse will be short.”
What you should know
The partial US government shutdown stems from a political deadlock over immigration enforcement funding, intensified by public anger over the fatal shootings of protesters by federal agents.
While most agencies are affected, congressional leaders expect the disruption to be brief if the House approves the Senate-backed deal next week.
The episode highlights deep divisions over immigration policy and oversight, with broader implications for federal workers, public services, and President Trump’s second-term agenda.
