US Government Shutdown 2026: Partial Shutdown Is Underway as Congress Races Toward a House Vote and a New Fight Over ICE Funding

A partial US government shutdown is happening now. Funding lapsed at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday, January 31, 2026, after Congress failed to clear a final agreement before the deadline. As of Sunday, February 1, 2026, the shutdown remains in effect, with leaders signaling the House could vote to reopen most agencies by Tuesday, February 3, 2026, if the votes hold.

The immediate reason is procedural and political at once: the Senate passed a large funding package late Friday, January 30, but the House was not in session in time to send it to the president. The deeper reason is the same pressure point that has repeatedly detonated funding talks in recent years: immigration enforcement, specifically the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

What happened and why the government shut down again

Congress entered the final hours before the deadline with a workable compromise in hand, but not the final steps needed to enact it. The Senate approved a plan designed to fund most of the federal government through the end of the fiscal year while carving out Homeland Security for a short extension.

That carve-out was meant to buy time for a separate negotiation over ICE oversight and enforcement rules, but it also created a new flashpoint. In the House, Democratic leaders have signaled they will not provide votes to fast-track the Senate package, forcing House Republicans to carry the bill largely on their own. That raises the odds that reopening the government depends on internal party discipline and turnout, not bipartisan muscle memory.

Senate vote, ICE funding, and the Minneapolis shooting that changed the leverage map

The Homeland Security fight hardened after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, an event that triggered protests and intensified demands for tighter guardrails on enforcement tactics. Democrats have used the moment to insist that additional funding must come with constraints and accountability measures, rather than a blank check.

In practical terms, the standoff has revolved around reforms that would reshape how ICE operates in the field. Proposals circulating among negotiators have included requirements like agent body cameras, limits on certain patrol practices, and restrictions on face coverings during operations. Republicans argue such limits could endanger agents and hamper enforcement, while Democrats argue the current approach lacks adequate transparency and public trust.

Complicating matters, the Senate has also seen resistance to an ICE funding approach viewed as unconditional, with at least one vote recently used to block a version framed as funding without meaningful limitations. That vote, and the public reaction around it, has turned ICE funding into a litmus test rather than a line item.

Where things stand on February 1, 2026 ET

The shutdown is real, but leaders are trying to keep it short.

Key near-term markers:

• Saturday, January 31, 2026, 12:01 a.m. ET: funding lapses, partial shutdown begins

• Friday, January 30, 2026, late evening ET: Senate clears a funding package for most agencies, with Homeland Security carved out for a short extension

• Monday, February 2, 2026, ET: House returns with the bill expected to be a priority item

• Tuesday, February 3, 2026, ET: House leadership has signaled this is a plausible target date to reopen most agencies, though timing depends on attendance and vote math

If you are asking “did the government shut down today,” the answer on February 1, 2026 ET is yes, but it is a partial shutdown, not a full shutdown of every federal function.

Behind the headline: incentives, stakeholders, and why this shutdown is different

This shutdown is less about the overall spending total and more about control of the narrative around immigration enforcement.

Incentives:

• House Republicans are incentivized to end the shutdown quickly to avoid economic and political blowback, while resisting reforms they view as weakening enforcement.

• Senate Democrats are incentivized to use the funding choke point to force guardrails, because once the money is flowing, leverage fades.

• The White House has an incentive to protect enforcement capacity while avoiding a prolonged closure that harms the economy and public services.

Stakeholders with real exposure:

• Federal workers and contractors whose pay and scheduling are disrupted

• Travelers and businesses depending on federal processing and regulatory functions

• Border and interior enforcement agencies facing scrutiny and operational uncertainty

• Members of Congress in swing districts, including those who may break with party leadership to signal independence

A notable subplot is the divide inside both parties: some Democrats want maximal constraints on ICE, while others worry about being tagged as pro-shutdown; some Republicans want an immediate reopening, while others want to use the moment to harden the administration’s enforcement posture.

What we still don’t know

Several critical points remain unsettled as of February 1, 2026 ET:

• Whether the House can pass the Senate package without meaningful Democratic support

• What specific ICE reforms, if any, will be attached to the Homeland Security deal after the short extension

• How long essential services can run smoothly if the shutdown extends beyond a few days

• Whether public demonstrations tied to the Minneapolis shooting expand, and whether that changes lawmakers’ risk calculations

What happens next: realistic scenarios and triggers

1. Quick reopening, DHS fight continues
   Trigger: House passes the Senate package by Tuesday, February 3, 2026 ET. Most agencies reopen, while Homeland Security negotiations intensify under a short deadline.

2. Shutdown stretches through midweek
   Trigger: House vote slips due to internal opposition or attendance problems. Pressure mounts from federal workforce disruptions and local economic impacts.

3. DHS becomes the next cliff
   Trigger: Congress reopens most agencies but fails to resolve the Homeland Security extension before it expires, setting up a second, narrower shutdown-style confrontation focused on immigration agencies.

4. A reform framework emerges
   Trigger: negotiators lock in a limited set of oversight measures that both sides can claim as a win, allowing a longer Homeland Security funding agreement.

5. Political escalation replaces policy bargaining
   Trigger: leaders lean into blame messaging rather than compromise, increasing the risk of repeated brinkmanship over funding deadlines.

The most immediate question for Americans is operational: when will services normalize. The more consequential question for Washington is strategic: whether ICE funding and oversight has become the default lever for governing, ensuring that future funding deadlines are not just budget votes, but referendums on enforcement power.