Senate Democrats and White House reach deal to avert partial government shutdown
Democrats and the Trump administration agreed Thursday to fund most of the government through September while temporarily funding the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks to negotiate immigration enforcement restrictions.
January 29, 2026
Senate Democrats and the White House struck a deal Thursday evening to avert a partial government shutdown set to begin Saturday and to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security while the two sides negotiate restrictions on immigration enforcement.
The agreement calls for passing five bipartisan spending bills to fund a large portion of the government through the remainder of the fiscal year, along with a separate two-week funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security at current levels. The shutdown deadline is midnight Friday.
The deal separates DHS funding from the broader spending package, a key Democratic demand. During the two-week period, lawmakers will discuss ways to restrict the activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, which Democrats have sought to curb. President Trump said in a social media post Thursday evening that "Republicans and Democrats have come together to get the vast majority of the government funded until September" and encouraged members of both parties to support the agreement.
The spending bills are valued at approximately 1.3 trillion dollars, representing roughly 75 percent of federal spending. The DHS budget includes approximately 64 billion dollars and covers the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and the U.S. Border Patrol, both of which have been deployed in Minneapolis and other cities conducting immigration enforcement operations.
The agreement came after Democrats blocked a spending package Thursday that would have funded DHS as part of a larger bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's office confirmed the deal's terms.
The Senate could vote on the agreement as soon as Thursday evening. However, the deal could face obstacles. Any changes to the DHS funding bill would require approval from the House of Representatives, which is out of session until Monday. House Speaker Mike Johnson told the Associated Press he had been "vehemently opposed" to separating the funding package but indicated he would consider the split measure if it proceeded.
The agreement requires support from all Senate members to advance, meaning any single senator could object and potentially derail the deal. Congressional leaders were polling their members Thursday to gauge support for the arrangement.