Newsletters
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law a $1.2 trillion spending package that ends a four-day partial government shutdown triggered by partisan disagreement over immigration enforcement under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved the measure earlier the same day with a 217–214 vote, sending the bill to the president’s desk.
2 min read
The legislation, which had cleared the Senate on Friday, includes five long-term appropriations bills covering most federal agencies through September, but only a short-term extension for DHS, setting a 10-day window for further negotiations on immigration policy.
The shutdown, which began Saturday, stemmed from Democratic opposition to continued funding for DHS without reforms to current immigration enforcement practices. Tensions escalated after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis last month, drawing national outrage.
Democrats have been demanding accountability over immigration sweeps involving heavily armed, masked, and often unidentified agents operating without warrants. While 21 Democrats crossed party lines to support the bill, an equal number of Republicans opposed it, criticizing concessions made to secure the deal.
Although the package restores funding for 96% of federal operations, including departments such as Defense, Treasury, Transportation, and Health and Human Services, the DHS remains in a precarious position.
Without an agreement on a full-year DHS budget by the end of the two-week extension, another partial shutdown could begin.
Shutdowns force non-essential government services to pause operations, place workers on unpaid leave, or require some employees to continue working without pay.
Democrats are pushing for structural changes in how DHS conducts arrests and deportations, while conservatives continue to defend the administration’s tough-on-border policies.
President Trump praised the compromise, calling it a "great victory for the American people," stating, "Instead of a bloated and wasteful omnibus monstrosity full of special interest handouts, we've succeeded in passing a fiscally responsible package that actually cuts wasteful federal spending while supporting critical programs for the safety, security and prosperity of the American people."
With the current DHS stopgap funding set to expire soon, lawmakers now face a compressed timeline to find common ground or risk another shutdown in the near term.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
