US Government Enters Partial Shutdown After Immigration Dispute Derails Budget Deadline

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The United States government entered a partial shutdown on Saturday after a midnight funding deadline passed without congressional approval of the 2026 budget, though leaders from both parties indicated that disruptions were likely to be limited, with the House expected to move early next week to ratify a Senate-backed deal.

The funding lapse came after negotiations collapsed amid Democratic anger over the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, a development that derailed talks over new funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The breakdown pushed the government into shutdown procedures affecting a broad range of federal agencies.

Senate Democratic Minority Whip Dick Durbin criticized the administration’s approach in a social media post, writing: “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. This Administration continues to make Americans less safe.”

Roughly three-quarters of federal operations are affected by the lapse, potentially triggering shutdown measures across education, health, housing, defense, and other sectors. Federal departments were expected to begin implementing shutdown plans overnight.

Despite the disruption, congressional leaders stressed that the Senate’s action made a brief shutdown more likely than a prolonged impasse. If the House approves the package early next week as anticipated, funding would be restored within days, limiting the practical impact on government services, contractors, and federal employees. However, if the shutdown extends beyond several days, tens of thousands of federal workers could face unpaid leave or be required to work without pay until funding is restored.

Late Friday, the Senate passed a package clearing five outstanding funding bills to cover most federal agencies through September, alongside a two-week stopgap measure to keep DHS operating while negotiations over immigration enforcement policy continue. The House of Representatives was out of session when the deadline expired and is not scheduled to return until Monday.

President Donald Trump backed the Senate deal and urged swift House action, signaling his desire to avoid a prolonged shutdown, which would be the second of his second term, following a record-length stoppage last fall that disrupted federal services for more than a month.

Political backlash

The Senate breakthrough came only after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina lifted a procedural hold that had stalled the package late Thursday. Graham objected to provisions in the DHS stopgap measure and to House-passed language repealing an earlier measure that allowed senators to sue the Justice Department if their phone records were seized during past investigations.

Graham agreed to release his block after Senate leaders committed to holding future votes on legislation he is sponsoring aimed at cracking down on so-called “sanctuary cities” that refuse to cooperate with federal deportation operations.

Democrats, meanwhile, remained unified in opposing new DHS funding without changes to immigration enforcement following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis. The deaths intensified scrutiny of federal agents’ conduct and hardened opposition to approving additional funding without new safeguards.

Party leaders accused immigration authorities of operating with insufficient oversight and demanded reforms including tighter warrant requirements, limits on certain enforcement tactics, and greater accountability for agents in the field.

Much of the US media interpreted the White House’s willingness to separate DHS funding from the broader budget package as an acknowledgment that the administration may need to recalibrate its deportation strategy following the political backlash over the Minneapolis deaths. Republicans remain divided, with some lawmakers recognizing the need for changes while conservatives warned against concessions they argue could weaken immigration enforcement.

Although Congress has approved six of the twelve annual funding bills, those measures account for only a minority of discretionary spending. The remaining bills fund large portions of the federal government, making the lapse significant if prolonged.

Late Friday, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo instructing agencies to prepare for an “orderly shutdown,” stating: “It is our hope that this lapse will be short.”

With Senate approval secured and the House set to return next week, Washington is bracing for a brief shutdown as lawmakers race to restore funding and prevent wider disruption across federal operations.