US Faces Partial Shutdown After DHS Funding Talks Collapse Over Minneapolis Killings

The United States slipped into a partial government shutdown after negotiations over new funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) broke down, following Democratic outrage over the killing of two protesters by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

The funding lapse came as anger within Democratic ranks derailed talks, with party leaders insisting that DHS should not receive additional funding without changes to immigration enforcement practices.

Senate Democratic Minority Whip Dick Durbin accused the Trump administration of misplacing its priorities, arguing that federal resources were being misused.

“Instead of going after drug smugglers, child predators and human traffickers, the Trump administration is wasting valuable resources targeting peaceful protesters in Chicago and Minneapolis,” Durbin wrote on social media, adding that the administration was making the country “less safe.”

The lapse in funding affects roughly three-quarters of federal operations, raising the prospect of shutdown procedures across agencies responsible for education, health, housing, defence and other essential services.

Federal departments were expected to begin executing shutdown plans overnight. However, leaders in both parties suggested the disruption is likely to be brief rather than prolonged.

Late Friday, the Senate approved a package that clears five outstanding funding bills to keep most government agencies operating through September. The legislation also includes a two-week stopgap measure to temporarily fund DHS while negotiations on immigration enforcement continue.

The House of Representatives was not in session when the deadline passed and is scheduled to reconvene on Monday. If lawmakers approve the Senate package early next week, funding could be restored within days, limiting the real-world impact on government services, contractors and federal employees.

Still, if the shutdown stretches beyond a few days, tens of thousands of federal workers could face unpaid leave or be required to work without pay until funding resumes.

President Donald Trump backed the Senate deal and called for swift House approval, signaling his desire to avoid a prolonged shutdown — the second of his second term — after a record-length stoppage last fall disrupted federal operations for more than a month.

The Senate breakthrough followed Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s decision to lift a procedural block that had stalled the package. Graham had objected to aspects of the DHS stopgap funding and to House-passed language repealing a measure that allowed senators to sue the Justice Department over the seizure of phone records during past investigations.

He agreed to release his hold after Senate leaders promised future votes on legislation he is sponsoring to crack down on so-called “sanctuary cities” that limit cooperation with federal deportation efforts.

Democrats, however, have remained united in opposing DHS funding without reforms, pointing to the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis as evidence of inadequate oversight of immigration agents.

Party leaders are demanding tighter warrant requirements, limits on certain enforcement tactics and stronger accountability mechanisms for agents in the field.

Much of the US media has interpreted the White House’s decision to separate DHS funding from the broader budget package as an acknowledgment that the administration faces mounting political pressure to recalibrate its deportation strategy following the Minneapolis deaths.

Republicans remain divided, with some lawmakers open to changes while others warn that concessions could weaken immigration enforcement. Several conservatives have indicated they will push for tougher measures during upcoming DHS negotiations, including penalties for states and cities that resist cooperation with federal authorities.

Although Congress has passed six of the 12 annual funding bills, those measures cover only a fraction of discretionary spending. The remaining bills fund major portions of the federal government, raising the stakes if the shutdown is extended.

Late Friday, the Office of Management and Budget instructed federal agencies to prepare for an “orderly shutdown,” expressing hope that the funding lapse would be brief.