House weighs 2-week DHS stopgap amid ICE reform fight

WASHINGTON – A partial federal government shutdown entered its first full workweek on Feb. 2, after Congress missed a midnight deadline on Jan. 31 to extend funding for several major agencies amid a dispute over immigration enforcement and oversight of federal agents.

Funding lapsed for the Pentagon, the Department of Transportation and other departments and agencies at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 31, forcing affected offices to begin shutdown procedures even as lawmakers signaled they expect a quick resolution. Workers deemed “essential,” including troops and air traffic controllers, stayed on the job, though many continued work without pay until Congress restores funding.

The Senate approved a Trump-backed funding plan on Jan. 30 that would finance most of the government through the end of the fiscal year on Sep. 30, 2026, while carving out a separate, 2-week continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security. The short-term DHS funding aims to buy time for negotiations over limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics after public outrage over fatal shootings tied to immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota.

House leaders began moving the Senate package through committee on Feb. 2, with a House floor vote expected Feb. 3. But Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., faced resistance from both parties: Democrats have threatened to withhold votes without stronger ICE restrictions, while some conservatives object to any plan that reopens the door to policy talks on immigration enforcement.

The White House said it started the “normal shutdown process” before the deadline, sending guidance to agencies on how to prepare for a funding lapse, according to Government Executive. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought issued a memo late Jan. 30 instructing agencies to “execute plans for an orderly shutdown,” while expressing hope the lapse would be short.

Under the Senate deal, DHS would receive 2 weeks of temporary funding. During that window, Senate Democrats and the White House would negotiate possible changes to immigration enforcement, including proposals such as mandatory body cameras, limits on warrantless home entries and restrictions on so-called roving patrols, according to Government Executive. The same report said the standoff escalated after Border Patrol agents fatally shot a Minnesota nurse, Alex Pretti, on Jan. 24.

AP reported that Democrats have sought restraints that go beyond $20 million for body cameras already included in the Senate package, pressing for requirements that agents identify themselves and scale back certain operations.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York argued that the department needs sweeping changes, telling ABC’s “This Week,” “Masks should come off,” while calling for judicial warrants before agents “are breaking into the homes of the American people or ripping people out of their cars.”

Johnson has blamed Democrats for the shutdown and said President Donald Trump supports the strategy of separating DHS funding from the broader package. “The president is leading this,” Johnson said on “Fox News Sunday,” according to AP.

The shutdown remains “partial” because some agencies already received full-year appropriations and do not face an immediate lapse, Government Executive reported. But the unresolved package covers major departments, including Defense, Transportation, State and Treasury, as well as Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Housing and Urban Development. Reuters described the early effects as limited, noting that many “essential” employees stayed on duty. The news service also pointed to Congressional Research Service data showing the government has endured 10 funding gaps of 3 days or fewer since 1977, many with little real-world effect.

Still, agencies must follow formal steps. Government Executive reported that employees who normally report to work on Feb. 2 would typically show up to carry out “orderly shutdown activities” on the first workday after a lapse, with agencies then directing non-excepted employees to remain at work briefly or go home depending on the timing of congressional action.

Johnson’s problem runs through arithmetic as much as ideology. Republicans hold a narrow House majority, and Reuters reported leaders have prepared for a tight vote as members return to Washington. Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the chamber’s No. 3 Republican, said the House is due to vote Feb. 3.

Some Democrats have signaled they may back the full-year funding bills for most agencies but balk at any DHS extension without stronger guardrails on immigration enforcement. Axios reported that Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he is a firm “no” on reopening the government if the measure funds DHS without reforms, arguing he cannot vote to give more money to ICE “as they’re violating our Constitutional rights.”

On the Republican right flank, some lawmakers have pushed to attach election-related language to the shutdown deal. The Washington Post reported that at least one proposal circulating among conservatives would require proof of citizenship for voter registration, a demand that could complicate passage or force the package back to the Senate if added. For now, the Senate plan remains the clearest path to restoring funding quickly: reopen the affected agencies, then use the 2-week DHS deadline to force negotiations over ICE rules, accountability measures and the scope of enforcement operations.

Whether that sequencing holds depends on how many lawmakers in both parties decide the political risks of a shutdown outweigh the leverage it can create — and how quickly Congress can translate a cross-party Senate vote into House action before the week’s disruption spreads.