A US government shutdown is nearly certain after the Senate rejected a key funding bill on Thursday. The move by Democrats was a direct response to the recent killing of two activists by federal immigration agents during protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
The procedural vote failed 55-45, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance the spending package. This failure makes a partial shutdown of federal agencies starting Saturday almost inevitable, despite last-minute negotiations between Democrats and the White House.
The central conflict revolves around funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Democrats have refused to approve the broader spending package unless DHS funding is separated and renegotiated to include new restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The demand for reform was ignited by recent events in Minneapolis, where border patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a nurse protesting deportation efforts. Weeks earlier, another activist, Renee Good, was killed by immigration officers in the same area.
Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated that the actions of ICE constituted “state-sanctioned thuggery” and that Congress has a “moral obligation” to act. Democrats are demanding several changes, including an end to roving ICE patrols, stricter requirements for warrants, a universal code of conduct on the use of force, and the mandatory use of body cameras.
Republican leaders have resisted separating the DHS funding, arguing it would delay the process and cause the shutdown Democrats claim they want to avoid. If an agreement is not reached by the midnight Friday deadline, hundreds of thousands of federal employees could be furloughed or forced to work without pay.
