US Government Partially Shuts Down Amid Immigration Enforcement Dispute

WASHINGTON (Azat TV) – A partial United States government shutdown commenced on Saturday, January 31, 2026, after Congress failed to pass full appropriations for several key departments, primarily due to an escalating standoff over new restrictions on federal immigration agents. The funding lapse, triggered by Democratic senators’ demands for reforms to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following two fatal incidents involving agents in Minneapolis, marks a critical juncture as the House of Representatives is expected to convene on Monday to address the crisis.

The shutdown, which began at midnight US eastern time (05:00 GMT), affects departments including Homeland Security, Defense, Education, Labor, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, National Security, and State. While the Senate approved a package on Friday to fund most government operations through September, along with a separate bill for two weeks of DHS operations, this legislation requires approval from the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to avert widespread disruption.

Funding Lapse Triggers Agency Disruptions

The immediate impact of the funding lapse is expected to materialize fully on Monday, the first business day under the shutdown. Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), issued a memo on Friday instructing affected agencies to ‘execute plans for an orderly shutdown.’ Vought expressed hope that the ‘lapse will be short,’ as the Administration continues to work with Congress to resolve the concerns. Despite the shutdown, operations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are unlikely to be halted, as the agency possesses significant funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year and the Trump administration could mandate its employees continue working.

President Donald Trump has indicated his willingness to sign the broader spending package once it reaches his desk. However, the fate of the two-week DHS funding bill and the overall appropriations remains uncertain in the House, where the Republican majority is razor-thin. Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged on Thursday that a ‘short shutdown situation’ was inevitable before the chamber’s Monday session, stating that ‘the House is going to do its job. We want to get the government funded, as does the president,’ as reported by The Guardian.

Democratic Demands for Immigration Enforcement Reform

The core of the dispute lies with Democratic senators, who are refusing to authorize continued spending for DHS without significant policy changes. Their demands follow the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier in January, incidents that occurred amid a surge of immigration agents deployed to the city under President Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was reportedly shot by a US Border Patrol agent after an altercation, leading the Justice Department to launch a civil rights investigation into the shooting on Friday, according to BBC News.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer outlined the Democratic party’s specific demands, which he described as ‘basic standards the American people already expect from law enforcement.’ These include banning officers from wearing masks, requiring body cameras, mandating adherence to a code of conduct, ensuring independent investigations for alleged violations, and prohibiting ‘roving patrols’ where agents target individuals suspected of being in the country unlawfully. Schumer emphasized the need to ‘rein in ICE and end the violence,’ advocating for rules, oversight, and judicial warrants, as reported by BBC News.

House Faces Slim Majority for Funding Resolution

While negotiations over these proposed changes are anticipated to unfold over the next two weeks, the immediate challenge lies in getting the Senate-approved funding through the House of Representatives. The Republican party holds a mere one-seat majority (218-213), making any legislative maneuver precarious. Further complicating matters, some right-wing lawmakers have demanded that the appropriations bill be coupled with the Save Act, a measure that would impose voter identification requirements criticized by many as potentially disenfranchising large segments of the American population.

The prospect of attracting bipartisan support for the Democratic proposals is not entirely dim. Following Pretti’s death, several Republicans expressed discomfort with ICE enforcement tactics and called for hearings and independent investigations. However, some, like Senator Markwayne Mullin, stated that ‘We’re not going to keep ICE from doing their job. The American people wanted the president to enforce law and order and ICE is doing their job,’ according to NPR.

Previous Standoffs and Future Outlook

This partial government shutdown is not an isolated event. It follows a record 43-day funding lapse that began in October, stemming from a dispute over extending tax credits for Affordable Care Act health plans. That previous shutdown was resolved when a group of moderate Democratic senators joined with Republicans to reopen the government, in exchange for a promise of a vote on the tax credit extension, which Republicans later blocked, leading to the subsidies’ expiration at the end of 2025.

The current standoff underscores the deep ideological divides within Congress, particularly concerning immigration enforcement and federal agency oversight. The coming days will test the ability of House leadership to navigate its narrow majority and the competing demands of both parties to restore full government operations, with the immediate focus on whether Monday’s session can yield a breakthrough.