The United States federal government has partially shutdown despite a last-ditch funding deal approved by the US Senate.
The funding lapse officially began at midnight US eastern time on Saturday, hours after senators agreed to fund most agencies until September. The bill carved out a two-week exemption for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement agencies.
The bill has yet to be approved by the US House of Representatives, which is out of session.
President Donald Trump struck the deal with Democrats after they refused to give more funding for immigration enforcement following the fatal shooting of two US citizens in Minneapolis by federal agents.
It is the second such government shutdown in the past year and comes just 11 weeks after the end of the previous funding impasse which lasted 43 days, the longest in US history.
That shutdown in 2025, which lasted from 1 October to 14 November, had widespread impacts on essential government services including air travel and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay for weeks.
But this shutdown, however, is unlikely to be that long or widespread as the House of Representatives is set to be back in session on Monday.
The White House, though, has directed several agencies, including the departments of transportation, education, and defence to execute shutdown plans.
“Employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities,” a White House memo to agencies said. “It is our hope that this lapse will be short.”
President Trump has urged Republicans, who hold the majority of seats in the US House, to vote for the deal.
Lawmakers plan to use the fortnight on DHS funds to negotiate a deal. Democrats want that deal to include new policies for immigration enforcement agents.
“We need to rein in ICE and end the violence,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“That means ending roving patrols. It means requiring rules, oversight, and judicial warrants... Masks need to come off, cameras need to stay on, and officers need visible identification. No secret police.”
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have sharply criticised tactics used by immigration agents in the wake of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last weekend.
Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was shot by a US Border Patrol agent after an altercation in which several agents tried to restrain him.
On Friday, the Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation into the shooting.
Source: BBC
--Agencies
