Limited US Government Shutdown Enters Third Week Amid Immigration Dispute
A partial US government shutdown entered its third week on Saturday, marking the third such shutdown during Donald Trump's second term. The shutdown affects approximately 13% of the federal civilian workforce and is confined to agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which handles airline passenger screening.
Congressional Break Extends Shutdown Timeline
The shutdown is unlikely to be resolved quickly as US lawmakers have left Washington DC for a scheduled 10-day recess. Republican leaders in Congress have indicated negotiations will continue during this period, with members prepared to return to Washington if an agreement is reached. This follows a broader 43-day federal government shutdown in November caused by different issues.
Despite the lapse in DHS funding, department operations are not expected to experience widespread disruption. However, travelers across the United States may encounter screening delays at airports, and disaster relief efforts along with immigration enforcement could be affected if the funding stoppage becomes prolonged.
Immigration Agent Restrictions at Center of Dispute
The current impasse stems from Democratic demands for new restrictions on immigration agents following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis last month by federal immigration agents. The proposed restrictions include requiring agents to conduct operations without face masks and mandating judicial warrants for home arrests – measures that Republicans largely oppose.
Notably, the shutdown does not halt Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection operations, as these agencies received substantial funding through last year's budget bill. The DHS was the recipient of enormous funds from last year's budget legislation, providing some operational continuity despite the current funding lapse.
Political Leaders Exchange Accusations
Ahead of the shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for adjourning Congress rather than keeping lawmakers in Washington to continue negotiations. "We've drawn a hard line in the sand on behalf of the American people, and we're not going to allow the Congress to cross it," Jeffries told reporters on Friday. "ICE needs to be dramatically reformed. Period. Full stop."
After Democrats rejected a White House offer on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it "not serious, plain and simple." Schumer later posted a video on social media platform X showing federal immigration agents pushing people to the ground and using pepper spray. "This is why Democrats voted NO on more funding for ICE. And we will continue to do so until ICE is reined in and the violence ends," he stated.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune offered a different perspective: "What it appears to me, at least at this point, is happening is the Democrats, like they did last fall, they really don't want the solution. They don't want the answer. They want the political issue."
Former President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday: "We're talking, but we have to protect law enforcement. I know what they want, I know what they can live with. The Democrats have gone crazy."
The political standoff continues as federal agencies navigate the partial shutdown, with no immediate resolution in sight as congressional leaders remain divided on immigration enforcement policies and funding priorities.
