The US government entered a partial shutdown early Saturday after lawmakers failed to approve a full-year 2026 budget before a midnight deadline, though congressional leaders signalled the interruption
was likely to be short as the House prepared to take up a Senate-approved deal early next week.
The lapse in funding followed a breakdown in negotiations sparked by Democratic anger over the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, an issue that derailed talks on new allocations 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,” Durbin mentioned.
With the deadline missed, about three-quarters of federal government operations were affected, opening the door to shutdown procedures across agencies responsible for education, health, housing and defence.
Departments began preparing to implement contingency plans overnight, but leaders in both parties argued that the Senate’s late move made a prolonged stalemate unlikely.
If the House endorses the measure as expected early next week, funding would be restored within days, limiting disruption to public services, contractors and federal employees.
A longer impasse, however, could force tens of thousands of workers onto unpaid leave or require them to continue working without receiving pay until lawmakers act.
Late Friday, the Senate approved legislation clearing five outstanding appropriations bills to finance most federal agencies through September, along with a two-week stopgap to keep DHS running while negotiations continue over immigration enforcement policies.
The House was not in session when the deadline expired and is due to return on Monday.
President Donald Trump backed the Senate compromise and urged the House to act quickly, indicating he wanted to avoid an extended shutdown, the second of his second term, after a record-length stoppage last fall disrupted government services for more than a month.
The Senate breakthrough only came after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina lifted a procedural hold that had blocked the package late Thursday.
Graham had objected to elements of the DHS stopgap and to House-passed language repealing an earlier measure that allowed senators to sue the Justice Department if their phone records were seized during previous investigations.
He ultimately agreed to remove his objection after Senate leaders pledged to hold future votes on legislation he is sponsoring aimed at cracking down on so-called “sanctuary cities” that decline to cooperate with federal deportation efforts.
Democrats, meanwhile, have remained united in opposing additional DHS funding without changes to immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Their deaths intensified scrutiny of federal agents’ conduct and hardened resistance to approving new money for immigration agencies without additional safeguards.
Party leaders accused immigration authorities of operating with insufficient oversight and pressed for reforms such as stricter warrant requirements, limits on certain enforcement tactics and greater accountability for agents working in the field.
Much of the US media interpreted the White House’s decision to separate DHS funding from the broader budget package as a sign that the administration was reassessing its deportation strategy in the wake of the political backlash over the Minneapolis killings.
Republicans remain split on that approach, with some acknowledging the need for changes and others warning against concessions they say could undermine enforcement.
Several lawmakers have indicated they intend to push their own priorities during the upcoming DHS negotiations, including proposals targeting states and cities that restrict cooperation with federal authorities.
Although Congress has already passed six of the 12 annual spending bills, those measures account for only a fraction of discretionary funding.
The remaining legislation covers large segments of the federal government, making the lapse potentially serious if it drags on.
Late Friday, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo instructing agencies to prepare for an “orderly shutdown,” adding, “It is our hope that this lapse will be short.”
