Senate Passes Major Deal
Senate lawmakers on Friday approved a last-minute funding agreement backed by President Donald Trump in an effort to limit the fallout from an impending federal government shutdown.
The deal came together after negotiations collapsed earlier in the week, following intense Democratic objections tied to recent immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis that derailed broader budget talks.
Despite Senate action, a brief shutdown is still expected to begin Saturday. The House of Representatives is not scheduled to return until Monday and cannot formally approve the agreement before the midnight deadline, making a short funding lapse unavoidable.
Senate leaders, however, say the agreement significantly increases the chances that the shutdown will be short-lived and resolved quickly once the House reconvenes.
Immigration dispute at center of funding fight
The funding standoff has largely centered on Democratic resistance to approving new money for the Department of Homeland Security without changes to immigration enforcement policy.
Democrats argue that recent enforcement actions intensified tensions surrounding federal immigration operations, while Republicans maintain that immigration agencies are enforcing existing law and protecting public safety.
The disagreement has hardened opposition to a full-year DHS funding package, forcing negotiators to separate the department from the rest of the federal budget.
Under the compromise negotiated between the White House and Senate leaders, lawmakers approved five outstanding appropriations bills that would fund most federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year in September.
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security was split off and extended for just two weeks under a temporary stopgap measure, giving Congress additional time to negotiate a longer-term solution.
Trump urges swift resolution
President Trump openly backed the deal and called on members of both parties to vote in favor of it, underscoring his push to prevent a lengthy shutdown in his second term.
The president previously endured a record 43-day shutdown last summer, an experience the White House has made clear it does not want repeated.
Government shutdowns temporarily suspend funding for non-essential federal operations, forcing agencies to curtail services, delay projects, and furlough workers or require them to work without pay.
If prolonged, a shutdown could affect departments including defense, transportation, education, housing, and financial oversight, increasing economic uncertainty and pressure on lawmakers to act.
ICE funding largely unaffected
Immigration and Customs Enforcement would remain largely operational during a short shutdown. The agency received long-term funding under Trump’s 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, which allocated roughly $75 billion over four years for immigration enforcement and border security.
Senate leaders stressed that a weekend-only shutdown, followed by House action on Monday, would likely have minimal impact on most federal operations.
Lindsey Graham lifts hold after concessions
The funding package was briefly stalled Thursday night when Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina blocked efforts to fast-track the vote.
Graham raised objections to the short-term DHS funding extension and to House-passed language limiting lawmakers’ ability to sue the Justice Department over past investigative actions.
On Friday morning, Graham agreed to allow the bill to advance after Senate leaders committed to holding votes on legislation targeting so-called “sanctuary city” policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“The vast majority of Americans support putting an end to sanctuary city policies,” Graham said, arguing that those policies play a major role in the nation’s immigration problems.
House vote still pending
Even with Senate approval, both parties are preparing for at least a brief shutdown. Congress has passed six of the twelve annual spending bills so far, but those measures account for only a minority of overall discretionary spending.
Without action, funding for roughly 78 percent of federal government operations is set to lapse.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has said the House intends to move quickly when members return on Monday, though internal divisions among Republicans could complicate final passage.
If the legislation is enacted, lawmakers will then have just two weeks to negotiate a full-year DHS funding bill — talks expected to be politically tense, with Democrats pushing for new restrictions on immigration enforcement and conservatives pressing to strengthen border security and target criminal illegal aliens.
