US government shuts down partially over homeland security funding

Democratic senators refuse to vote for bill authorizing continued DHS spending after killings of two US citizens

Funding lapsed for several US government departments on Saturday, the result of a standoff in Congress over new restrictions on federal agents involved in Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign following the killings of two US citizens in Minneapolis.

The partial government shutdown is the result of Democratic senators refusing to vote for a bill authorizing continued spending by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), after federal agents killed Alex Pretti in Minnesota's largest city last week, and Renee Good earlier in January. The minority party's blockade imperiled a push by Republicans for approval of larger package of legislation funding other departments, which needed to pass the Senate before the government's spending authorization expired Friday.