US government entered a partial shutdown even after a last-minute funding agreement
The US federal government has entered a partial shutdown after a final funding agreement cleared the Senate.
The funding lapse officially began at midnight Saturday, US Eastern Time, just hours after senators agreed to fund most agencies through September. The bill included a two-week extension for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement agencies.
The bill still needs approval from the US House of Representatives, which is currently not in session.
President Donald Trump struck the deal with Democrats after they refused to provide additional funding for immigration enforcement following the fatal shooting of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis.
This is the second government shutdown in the past year and comes just 11 weeks after the end of the previous funding lapse, which lasted 43 days, the longest in US history.
That shutdown, which ran from October 1 to November 14, 2025, significantly impacted essential government services, including air travel, and left millions of federal employees without pay for weeks.
However, this shutdown is not expected to be as long or as widespread, as the House of Representatives is scheduled to reconvene on Monday. Nevertheless, the White House has instructed several agencies, including the Departments of Transportation, Education, and Defense, to implement their shutdown plans.
In a memo sent to agencies, the White House stated, “Employees should report to work for their next regular tour of duty so that they can properly execute shutdown activities.” “We expect this lapse to be of short duration.”
President Trump has urged Republicans, who hold a majority in the US House, to vote for the deal.
Lawmakers plan to use the two-week extension on DHS funding to negotiate a deal. Democrats want the deal to include new policies for immigration enforcement agents. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said, “We need to rein in ICE and end the violence.”
“That means ending roving patrols. That means rules, oversight, and the need for legal warrants… Masks must come off, cameras must be on, and officers must have visible identification. No secret police.”
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have sharply criticized the tactics used by immigration agents following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretto in Minneapolis last weekend.
Pretto, an intensive care nurse, was shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent after several agents attempted to stop him and a struggle ensued. The Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation into the shooting on Friday.
