US House passes bill to end shutdown, but DHS funding fight looms

The United States Congress has moved to temporarily resolve a partial government shutdown, with the House of Representatives approving a critical funding bill on Tuesday. The measure passed by a narrow vote of 217-214 and now heads to President Donald Trump for his expected signature. The legislative action ends a shutdown that began on Saturday, which had left roughly 45% of the federal workforce in limbo and affected major departments including Defense, State, and Transportation. The agreement, however, is incomplete, as it merely postpones a fierce political battle over immigration enforcement for another two weeks.

A stopgap solution with a lingering core dispute

The newly passed package is a hybrid solution. It provides full-year funding through the end of September for five major federal agencies, bringing the total number of fully funded departments to 11 out of 12. House Speaker Mike Johnson hailed this as a "big achievement." However, the bill only extends funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for an additional 10 days. This short-term patch was necessary because lawmakers remain deadlocked over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, particularly following the deadly shooting of two US citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, which fueled Democratic opposition.

The unresolved immigration policy clash

The heart of the ongoing crisis is a fundamental disagreement over immigration policy and enforcement. Democrats are demanding significant changes to the operations of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a condition for supporting long-term DHS funding. The two-week extension for DHS is designed to provide a final window for negotiations on these issues. Speaker Johnson expressed hope that Democrats would act "in good faith" in the coming days, warning that failure to reach an agreement would risk another partial shutdown later this month, centered solely on homeland security functions.

The shutdown's impact and the path ahead

The brief shutdown highlighted the recurring dysfunction in Washington's budget process and its tangible consequences. Agencies faced uncertainty, and hundreds of thousands of federal employees braced for furloughs or unpaid work. For international observers, including allies like Türkiye, such domestic political instability can raise questions about the reliability and focus of US governance. The coming fortnight will test whether the two parties can bridge their deep divides on a polarizing issue like immigration or if the United States is destined for another disruptive funding lapse, underscoring the challenges of governance in a deeply divided political climate.