By Blessing Nweke
A partial US government shutdown entered its third day on Monday with no resolution in sight, as Democrats and Republicans remained deadlocked over immigration policy and funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The shutdown began after federal funding expired at midnight on Saturday. While the Senate last week approved a package of five spending bills to fund several government agencies through the end of the 2026 fiscal year on 30 September, lawmakers removed a sixth bill that would have provided full-year funding for DHS. Instead, the Senate passed a short-term, two-week stopgap measure for DHS to allow more time for negotiations.
Democrats have insisted that any long-term DHS funding must include reforms to immigration enforcement. Their demands include requiring immigration agents to wear body cameras that are turned on during operations, banning the use of masks by agents, and tightening warrant requirements. These calls intensified after two US citizens were fatally shot during immigration enforcement actions linked to Operation Metro Surge, a Trump administration initiative that has sparked protests in Minneapolis.
California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna said on Sunday that he was urging fellow Democrats to oppose 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 told the News.
The Senate-approved funding package now awaits action in the House of Representatives, where it must first pass a procedural “rule vote” that Democrats are expected to oppose. The House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet Monday afternoon to consider the measure.
President Donald Trump urged lawmakers to act quickly, writing on Truth Social that Congress should send a bill to his desk “without delay” to avoid a prolonged shutdown. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was confident the bills could pass by Tuesday, though he noted that a winter storm could complicate lawmakers’ return to Washington. Republicans hold only a one-vote majority in the House.
The limited shutdown has already disrupted federal services, forcing thousands of Federal Aviation Administration and air traffic control workers to furlough or work without pay. It has also delayed the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly jobs report, a key indicator closely watched by policymakers, investors and the public.