Partial US Government Shutdown Takes Effect Amid Funding Impasse on Homeland Security Reforms
The United States federal government entered a partial shutdown at midnight Eastern Time on Saturday, January 31, 2026, after funding lapsed for major departments including Defense, State, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security. This marks the second funding lapse in less than six months, following a record-breaking 43-day shutdown that ended in November 2025. The lapse occurred despite the Senate's late Friday approval of a bipartisan compromise package, backed by President Donald Trump, which funds most agencies through September 2026 while providing only a two-week extension for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The deal allows time for negotiations on reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices, including demands from Democrats for body cameras, unmasked agents, additional warrants, and local oversight—prompted by the recent fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by f...