The United States federal government has entered a partial shutdown after a funding lapse took effect at midnight Eastern Time (05:00 GMT) on Saturday, despite a last-minute deal approved by the US Senate.
The Senate agreement funds most federal agencies until September, but provides only two weeks of funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees immigration enforcement. The bill has not yet been approved by the House of Representatives, which is currently out of session.
The shutdown marks the second federal funding lapse in the past year and comes just 11 weeks after the end of a 43-day shutdown, the longest in US history. That previous impasse, which ran from October 1 to November 14, 2025, disrupted essential services and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay.
Although the current shutdown is expected to be short-lived, the White House has directed several agencies — including the Departments of Transportation, Education, and Defence — to begin executing shutdown procedures.
“Employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities,” a White House memo stated, adding that officials hope the lapse will be brief.
President Donald Trump reached a temporary funding deal with Democrats after they refused to approve increased funding for immigration enforcement. The standoff followed the fatal shooting of two US citizens in Minneapolis by federal agents, an incident that has intensified scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics.
The two-week DHS funding window is expected to be used by lawmakers to negotiate stricter oversight measures. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats want reforms to curb what he described as violent and unaccountable enforcement practices.
“We need to rein in ICE and end the violence,” Schumer said, calling for warrants, visible identification, body cameras, and an end to masked operations.
The political fallout intensified after the killing of Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse who was shot during an altercation with US Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis last weekend. The Justice Department has since launched a civil rights investigation into the incident.
Trump has urged Republicans, who hold a majority in the House of Representatives, to pass the Senate-approved deal when lawmakers return to session on Monday, potentially ending the shutdown within days.
