The United States federal government has entered a partial shutdown after a late-night funding agreement passed by the Senate failed to clear the House of Representatives.
The funding gap took effect at midnight Eastern Time on Saturday, just hours after senators approved a measure to finance most federal agencies through September. However, the bill provides only two weeks of funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement, rather than full-year support. The legislation is still awaiting approval from the House, which is currently in recess.
President Donald Trump reached the agreement with Democrats after they declined to approve expanded immigration enforcement funding, following the fatal shooting of two US citizens in Minneapolis involving federal agents.
This marks the second government shutdown within a year and comes only 11 weeks after the conclusion of a 43-day standoff in 2025 — the longest shutdown in US history. That earlier impasse disrupted major government services, including air travel, and left hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay.
The current shutdown is expected to be more limited, as lawmakers are scheduled to return to Capitol Hill on Monday. Nevertheless, the White House has instructed several departments — including transportation, education, and defense — to begin shutdown procedures.
In a memo to federal agencies, the White House said employees should report to work to carry out an orderly suspension of operations, expressing hope that the funding lapse would be brief.
Trump has called on House Republicans, who hold the chamber’s majority, to support the Senate-approved deal. Lawmakers plan to use the two-week funding window for Homeland Security to negotiate a broader agreement, with Democrats pushing for changes to immigration enforcement practices.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said new safeguards were necessary, calling for tighter oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He advocated ending roving patrols, requiring judicial warrants, and mandating visible identification and body cameras for officers.
Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the conduct of immigration agents following the shooting of Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse who was killed during an altercation with US Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis last weekend.
The Justice Department has since opened a civil rights investigation into the incident.