US Government Shutdown Enters Third Day Amid Immigration Funding Dispute

Mon Feb 02 2026 18:05:15 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The partial shutdown of the US government continues as Democrats push for immigration reforms tied to funding agreements, putting pressure on Congress to resolve differences.

The partial US government shutdown has now entered its third day as Democrats demand significant immigration reforms to be included in any funding deal. While a temporary two-week funding package for the Department of Homeland Security has been approved by the Senate, Democrats are opposing it due to concerns over immigration enforcement practices. The House is expected to discuss the funding package soon amid protests against controversial ICE operations following recent shootings.

The partial US government shutdown entered its third day on Monday without resolution as Democrats continued to demand immigration reforms as part of any funding deal to reopen the government.

Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed to a package of five spending bills on Thursday, but stripped out a sixth bill on full fiscal year funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Senate instead approved a two-week funding for the DHS that gives lawmakers more time to work out disputes over its long-term budget.

Democrats want changes to the immigration enforcement operation, including requiring agents to wear body cameras turned on and to not wear masks.

The package approved by the Senate must now be cleared by the House of Representatives before it is sent to President Donald Trump's desk for signature.

The Senate package includes funding for the defence department, the health department, the treasury, the federal court system and other agencies until the end of the 2026 fiscal year on 30 September.

But funding for these federal agencies ended at midnight on Saturday, resulting in a partial shutdown, as the House is yet to approve it. The effects will be minimal though, as many government services do not operate over the weekend.

The House Rules Committee is expected to meet on Monday afternoon to consider the funding package.

The Senate-approved package must first clear a procedural hurdle known as the rule vote, which Democrats are expected to vote against.

Speaking to NBC News on Sunday, California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna said he was advocating for his colleagues to vote no on the DHS stopgap funding. I just don't see how in good conscience Democrats can vote for continuing ICE funding when they're killing American citizens, he said.

Yet Republican leaders said they were confident they could pass all the bills soon. We'll get this done by Tuesday, I'm convinced, said Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Fox News Sunday.

The Republican leader told NBC that a winter storm could make it difficult to get lawmakers back in town to vote, and Republicans only have a one-vote majority in the House.

The impasse comes as thousands of people have taken to the streets in Minneapolis, to protest against Operation Metro Surge - a Trump administration immigration enforcement effort that has drawn widespread outrage after federal agents fatally shot two US citizens.

Democrats have demanded changes in funding to DHS in light of the fatal shootings, and have advocated for changes to ICE protocol such as banning agents' use of masks and having stricter warrant requirements.

The DHS is a sprawling department encompassing multiple agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Coast Guard and Secret Service.

Thousands of federal agents from ICE and CBP have been deployed to Minnesota as part of Trump's immigration crackdown.