President Trump urged the House to quickly approve a Senate-brokered funding package to end a partial government shutdown, but Democrats withheld procedural support to press for stricter limits on immigration enforcement. The Senate deal funds Homeland Security temporarily through Feb. 13 while leaders negotiate reforms including body cameras, limits on masked agents and judicial warrants for certain searches. House Republicans are divided, with some pressing for fuller DHS funding or additional measures. Lawmakers warned the stalemate could lead to missed paychecks, furloughs and disruptions to agencies such as FEMA.
Trump Urges Fast House Vote to End Partial Shutdown as Immigration Fight Holds Up Funding
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walks to meet with Republicans as they try to advance a federal funding package and prevent a prolonged partial government shutdown, at the Capitol on Monday. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)(J. Scott Applewhite)
President Donald Trump on Monday urged the House to quickly approve a Senate-negotiated spending package to end a partial federal shutdown, but partisan disputes over immigration enforcement blocked immediate progress.
House Democrats refused to provide the procedural votes Speaker Mike Johnson typically needs to move the measure forward, using leverage to press the administration for tighter limits on deportation operations after the fatal shootings of two people in Minneapolis. That leaves Johnson relying on a narrow Republican majority, several members of which oppose parts of the Senate-crafted deal, to unite behind the package.
Where the Deal Stands
The Senate-approved funding plan keeps the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funded only temporarily — through Feb. 13 — while Congress negotiates changes to immigration enforcement. The broader spending package passed the Senate before funding for the Pentagon, DHS and other agencies lapsed on Saturday; the House could begin voting as soon as Tuesday.
“We need to get the Government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY,” the president wrote on social media, adding, “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.”
Key Disputes
Democrats are pressing for more than the bill’s $20 million allocation for body-worn cameras. They want limits on masked immigration officers, a shift toward requiring judicial warrants for certain searches instead of administrative authorizations, an end to roving patrols, and other safeguards they say are needed after law enforcement actions in Minneapolis.
Administration officials announced that officers working in Minneapolis, including immigration agents, would be immediately issued body-worn cameras and that the program could expand nationwide as funding allows. Republicans counter that some Democratic demands would be difficult to accept and have raised their own priorities — from fuller DHS funding to measures such as the SAVE Act, proposed by some GOP members.
House GOP leaders, including Majority Leader Steve Scalise, said they will continue negotiating to gather support. Senate Republicans warned some Democratic requests — notably a requirement for judicial warrants in many immigration searches — would be hard to resolve during the two-week funding window.
Operational Risks
With agencies already operating under lapse guidance, many functions deemed "essential" continue, but workers could face missed pay or furloughs if the standoff continues. Lawmakers from both parties warned the impasse could hamper agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which constituents rely on after storms and other disasters.
This is the second disruption to federal operations in recent months tied to budget fights. Lawmakers and the White House said they were discussing a framework to narrow differences on immigration and prevent a prolonged shutdown.
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Matt Brown and Nathan Ellgren contributed to this report.
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