U.S. Government Partially Shuts Down Amid Budget Disagreement

On January 31, 2026, the United States federal government entered a partial shutdown after lawmakers in Congress failed to agree on a full funding plan by the midnight deadline. The impasse centered around a bitter dispute over how — and whether — to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), particularly in light of recent calls from Democratic lawmakers for changes to immigration enforcement.

Congress had been racing to complete the annual budget process, which requires passage of 12 separate spending bills for the new fiscal year. While six appropriations bills were already approved earlier, lawmakers were unable to finish the remaining package that included DHS funding due to deep disagreements over proposed reforms and oversight of agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol.

Senate Democrats refused to support the DHS funding portion of the bill unless it included specific reforms to how immigration enforcement operates and greater accountability for federal agents. Those demands were driven in large part by public frustration after several controversial deadly encounters involving federal agents in Minneapolis, which galvanized lawmakers to oppose the existing funding plan.

Despite reaching a compromise in the Senate on a revised spending package that would fund most government departments through the end of September and provide only a short two-week funding extension for DHS, the House of Representatives did not take up the legislation before the funding deadline. Because of that timing issue, funding expired for DHS and several other agencies at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on January 31, triggering the shutdown procedures.

The partial shutdown affects an estimated 78% of federal spending, pulling support from agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), FEMA, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). However, some government functions will continue because they are considered essential or are covered by separate funding laws — including Social Security benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, and U.S. Postal Service operations.

Lawmakers have signaled that they will return to Washington when the House reconvenes to try and finish the stalled budget bill. But with disputes over immigration policy and spending priorities still unresolved, it’s unclear how long the shutdown might last or what changes will be necessary to win support from both parties on DHS funding.