Averting Shutdown Amid Immigration Enforcement Dispute: Trump and US Democrats Reach Budget Deal

Senate Agrees to Separate Appropriations Bills
Revised Legislation Requires House Approval

President Donald Trump and Senate Democrats reached an agreement on a temporary budget for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), averting a government shutdown and suspension of federal work.

United States Capitol. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

According to major foreign media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 29th (local time), the Senate rejected a motion to introduce a package of six appropriations bills, which included budgets for the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, and other federal agencies, with 45 votes in favor and 55 against. The aftermath of a shooting incident in Minnesota led Democrats to demand reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and they opposed the DHS budget, which includes ICE, raising concerns of a shutdown. In response, Senate Democrats and the White House entered negotiations, and the Senate agreed to quickly pass five of the six appropriations bills that had already passed the House, narrowly avoiding a shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office stated that they agreed to separate and pass the five appropriations bills excluding DHS, and to extend the current DHS budget for two weeks.

President Trump expressed his support for the agreement, stating on Truth Social, "I hope both Republicans and Democrats will cast the much-needed bipartisan 'YES' votes."

All bills amended in the Senate must be approved by the House. Therefore, the Senate is expected to soon approve the agreement and send the revised appropriations package back to the House. However, since the agreement between the White House and Democrats was reached just before the budget deadline at 12:01 a.m. on the 31st, a short-term funding gap may be unavoidable. The House is in recess this week and has no official schedule until Monday, February 2, but lawmakers may be called back over the weekend to pass the bills.

The WSJ explained that, as many government budgets expire on the night of the 30th, some agencies could temporarily shut down during the brief period before House members return. However, as it falls on a weekend, foreign media outlets observed that the impact would be minimal.

Amid growing backlash over a recent incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where two civilians were killed in a federal agents’ shooting, Democrats previously introduced a reform bill requiring ICE agents to remove their masks during operations, wear body cameras, and halt random checks and warrantless searches and arrests. Democrats have maintained that they will not pass the DHS budget until the Trump administration agrees to reforms curbing ICE’s aggressive immigration enforcement.

In the United States, there was a record-long 43-day partial federal government shutdown from October 1 to November 12 last year. At that time, the federal budget failed to pass as Republicans opposed extending subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare), which Democrats demanded. The shutdown ended when both parties reached a compromise amid concerns over its prolonged duration.