US government partially shuts down as ICE killings spark funding standoff
The United States entered a partial federal government shutdown on Saturday after Congress failed to fully approve a funding deal before a midnight deadline.
The Senate passed a bipartisan package to fund most federal agencies through September, but the House of Representatives has not yet voted, leaving parts of the government unfunded. The shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time.
Under the Senate deal, funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was extended for just two weeks, rather than through the full fiscal year.
The standoff was triggered by Democratic opposition to President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown following the fatal shootings of two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Democrats have refused to approve long-term DHS funding without new limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol operations.
“We need to rein in ICE and end the violence,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, calling for warrants, oversight and visible identification for agents.
Both parties have criticized recent enforcement tactics, including masked officers, aggressive street confrontations and operations that have terrorized communities.
The Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into the killing of Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident shot dead by federal immigration agents last week. Pretti’s death — the second fatality involving federal agents in the city this month — has intensified calls for accountability and policy reform.
Trump struck a short-term deal with Democrats and urged House Republicans to back the Senate-approved package. The White House has instructed several agencies to begin shutdown procedures, though some departments remain funded.
The shutdown is expected to be brief, with the House set to return on Monday, but lawmakers warn that deep divisions over immigration policy and the conduct of federal agents could prolong negotiations.
This is the second US government shutdown in this fiscal year, following a 43-day funding crisis in 2025 — the longest in the country’s history — which disrupted services and cost the economy billions.
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