The US government was reportedly headed for a partial shutdown on Friday, despite the US Senate approving a last-minute deal backed by President Donald Trump. If a Reuters report is to be believed, the shutdown is almost certain to begin at 05:01 ET (05:01 GMT) on Saturday.
Here’s why a brief US government shutdown is likely
The government funding bill includes changes requested by Democrats who were concerned about immigration enforcement. But it seems unlikely that the US Congress will approve a deal that would keep funding for a wide range of operations past the midnight deadline.
After hours of delay, the US Senate approved the spending package 71 to 29. But the House of Representatives is out of town and not expected to take up the measure until Monday, a Republican leadership adviser told Reuters.
Read also | US government shutdown averted as Trump and Democrats strike: What we know
The shutdown is therefore set to begin on Saturday as the House of Representatives is out of session until Monday, meaning it cannot ratify the upper house deal before a midnight deadline – making a weekend funding lapse inevitable, AFP reported.
Senate leaders say the legislation will nonetheless greatly increase the chances that the shutdown will end quickly, potentially within days.
What is the financing statement about?
With a weekend recess looming, Trump struck a rare deal with Senate Democrats on Thursday following the deaths of two protesters — Alex Pretti and Renee Good — at the hands of federal agents in separate incidents in the northern city of Minneapolis.
Under the deal, money for Homeland Security (DHS) will continue at current levels for two weeks while lawmakers consider Democratic demands to unmask agents, require more arrest warrants and allow local authorities to help investigate any incidents.
Read also | US government shutdown looms: Can Trump and Senate Democrats strike a deal?
As part of a deal negotiated between the White House and Senate Democratic leaders, lawmakers approved five pending bills to fund most of the federal government through the end of the fiscal year in September.
Funding for DHS, which oversees immigration enforcement, was cut and extended for just two weeks in a stopgap measure meant to give lawmakers time to negotiate changes to the department’s operations.
Trump has publicly endorsed the deal and urged both parties to support it, signaling his desire to avoid a second shutdown in his second term after a record 43-day shutdown last summer.
The second ending to Trump’s second term
The US government went through its longest shutdown since October of last year. On November 12, Trump signed the funding bill, finally ending the longest shutdown of the federal government in the nation’s history.
The move reopened the government after a 43-day shutdown that disrupted food benefits for millions of Americans, stopped paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal workers and caused widespread delays throughout the nation’s air transportation system.
Another government shutdown, which could begin this Saturday, will be the second in Trump’s second term as US president.
What is a US Government Shutdown?
Shutdowns temporarily freeze funding for non-essential federal operations, forcing agencies to halt services, place workers on unpaid leave or require them to work without pay.
Read also | US Shutdown in 2025: What Does It Mean for US and Indian Stock Markets?
The protracted shutdown would hit ministries ranging from defense, education and transportation to housing and financial regulation, while pressure to fix the disruptions spreading through the economy quickly mounts.
Impact
Ironically, Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — the agency at the center of the immigration crackdown — would be largely unaffected, as Trump’s One Big Beautiful Act of 2025 was allocated about $75 billion over four years, AFP reported.
And a weekend shutdown with a fast-track resolution in the House on Monday would have negligible impact on federal operations.
Read also | The US shutdown hits its 40th day, threatening flights and food aid amid a Senate standoff
The broader fight over funding left both sides bracing for at least a brief shutdown. Congress has already passed six of the 12 annual budget bills, but those measures cover only a minority of discretionary spending.
The remaining bills fund large parts of the government, meaning funding for roughly 78 percent of federal operations will disappear.
Speaker Mike Johnson said the House intends to act quickly when it returns Monday, although divisions among Republicans could complicate the process.
Read also | The US shutdown hits its 40th day, threatening flights and food aid amid a Senate standoff
If enacted, lawmakers would then have just two weeks to negotiate a yearlong DHS funding bill — negotiations that both parties acknowledge will be politically tense, with Democrats demanding new curbs on immigration enforcement and conservatives pushing their own policy priorities.
(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)
