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The U.S. government experienced a short-lived shutdown on Saturday after Congress didn’t approve a funding deal before the midnight deadline. Following delays, the Senate passed the bill with bipartisan backing, 71 to 29, but the House, which is out of town, isn’t expected to take up the measure until Monday. The shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time (5:01 a.m. GMT).
This pause is anticipated to be brief, as lawmakers from both parties are working to ensure immigration enforcement debates don’t disrupt other government functions. This situation contrasts sharply with last fall’s prolonged 43-day shutdown that cost the U.S. economy roughly $11 billion, as partisan divisions over healthcare deepened.
Since 1977, there have been ten short funding gaps of three days or less, mostly with little real-world impact. The current bipartisan deal separates funding for the Department of Homeland Security from the rest of the budget, allowing approval of Pentagon and Labor Department budgets while considering new restrictions on federal immigration agencies.
Democrats, upset over the shooting of a second U.S. citizen by immigration agents in Minneapolis last weekend, threatened to block the funding package to pressure President Trump to rein in DHS, which manages immigration enforcement. Democrats aim to end roving patrols, require agents to wear body cameras, prohibit face masks, and mandate search warrants from judges. Republicans are open to some of these measures.
Funding for DHS will be extended for two weeks, giving negotiators time to iron out immigration enforcement policies. The death of nurse Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents last Saturday caused widespread public outrage, leading the Trump administration to scale back regional operations. This was the second incident this month involving non-criminal American citizens and immigration law enforcement.
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