The United States is once again facing the risk of a partial government shutdown. The funding deadline expires on 30 January 2026, and negotiations in Congress have stalled due to a sharp escalation of the political crisis.
The tragedy in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where people died as a result of actions by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents, sparked a new round of confrontation. Democrats accused Republicans of excessive harshness in immigration policy and demanded separate consideration of funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as an investigation into the incident.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would not support the funding package unless DHS was included in a separate bill. ‘We will not vote to continue funding agencies that endanger the lives of Americans,’ he said yesterday.
Republicans, who control the Senate and House of Representatives, rejected the ultimatum. Senator Lindsey Graham called on Democrats to ‘stop irresponsible threats’ and work towards a compromise. Majority leaders insist on passing the four remaining spending bills in a single package (worth about $1.2 trillion), which has already passed the House of Representatives.
According to some analysts and betting platforms, the probability of a shutdown by the morning of 31 January is 70-77%. The White House issued a statement: ‘We hope that cooler heads will prevail and that unnecessary damage to the economy and millions of Americans can be avoided.’