US Congress impasse over immigration set to trigger partial shutdown

A prolonged impasse between US lawmakers over immigration enforcement threatens to ensnare the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a partial government shutdown beginning Saturday, following two fatal shootings in Minneapolis.

“For weeks, we’ve been pushing commonsense reforms,” Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Republican-controlled Senate, said ahead of a partial shutdown that would go into effect after midnight on Friday night.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt put the blame on the opposition, telling Fox News that “Democrats are barreling our government towards another shutdown for political and partisan reasons.”

The Democrats oppose any new funding for DHS until major changes are implemented in the way Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — the powerful agency working to carry out President Donald Trump’s migrant crackdown — conducts its operations.

In particular, they demand curtailed patrols, a ban on ICE agents wearing facemasks during operations, and the use of a judicial warrant to enter private property.

If no deal is reached, thousands of civil servants could be furloughed, while thousands more will be required to work without pay — until a budget deal is finalized.

But ICE would be able to maintain operations because of funds already approved by Congress last year.

The primary impact would land on other agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which oversees emergency response to natural disasters.

The Transportation Security Administration, which runs airport safety, warns on X that a prolonged shutdown could result in longer wait times and cancelled flights.

The shutdown would be the third of Trump’s second term, including a record 43-day government closure last October and November.