The United States government partially shut down over the weekend due to Congress negotiating changes to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The shutdown began when funding for multiple government agencies expired at midnight on Saturday. The Senate voted Friday to pass a partial funding package, but the House of Representatives was on recess over the weekend. The House is expected to quickly pass legislation when they come back into session today.
Funding packages for agencies including the Department of Transportation and Department of Health and Human Services have bipartisan support. However, Democrats insisted the funding for DHS should separate from funding for the remaining government agencies.
After the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Democrats turned against a bill that allowed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate without any changes or reforms.
Rosa DeLauro, a Democratic representative from Connecticut and the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, released a statement expressing concern about the bill.
“ICE must be reined in. There must be accountability for the countless abuses, acts of violence and lawless behavior we have seen on our streets,” DeLauro said. “The bill takes several steps in the right direction, such as cutting ICE enforcement and removal operations and reducing the number of detention beds, but it does not include broader reforms Democrats proposed.”
In an effort to prevent a longer shutdown, President Donald Trump negotiated temporary funding for DHS. Under this deal, the agency will keep its current level of funding for two weeks while Democrats negotiate changes to the legislation.
The New York Times reported Trump called Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader, to cut the deal and mitigate the shutdown. Schumer reportedly told the president that “the American people hate what is going on in the streets” in regard to immigration enforcement.
DeLauro notes in her press release that due to the $75 billion ICE received in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it “would be able to sustain regular operations for multiple years,” even with a lapse in funding. Other DHS organizations, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, would be more affected by a lack of DHS funding.
“I understand that many of my Democratic colleagues may be dissatisfied with any bill that funds ICE. I share their frustration with the out-of-control agency,” DeLauro said. “I encourage my colleagues to review the bill and determine what is best for their constituents and communities.”
Brief shutdowns such as this one have occurred before, including two during Trump’s first term. The Associated Press reports that the effects of these shutdowns are typically “not very visible to anyone hoping to use government services.”