By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) – Large portions of the U.S. government could be forced to shut down as soon as Saturday if Congress does not resolve a dispute over immigration enforcement.
WHY WOULD THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN?
Congress is supposed to allocate funding to 438 government agencies each year. If they fail to do so, agencies must stop all work not deemed “essential.”
Lawmakers have already passed legislation to fund dozens of agencies for the current fiscal year, which runs through September 30.
But Democrats in the Senate, angered by President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies, say they will not back funding for the Department of Homeland Security without additional oversight provisions. The bill cannot pass without their support, as it needs 60 votes to advance in the Senate and Republicans only hold 53 seats.
Republicans so far have shown no interest in changing the bill, which passed the House of Representatives last week.
Without compromise, a shutdown is likely when current funding expires at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, January 31.
WHAT AGENCIES WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN?
Aside from the Department of Homeland Security, other agencies could see their funding expire because they are included in the same spending bill.
Those include: the Defense Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Treasury Department, the federal court system and the State Department.
DHS includes several agencies responsible for immigration, including Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It also includes the Coast Guard, the Secret Service, and agencies responsible for cybersecurity, airport security, disaster response, and counterterrorism.
Democrats are pressing Republicans to break up the spending bill so these agencies would not be disrupted by the fight over DHS. Republicans so far have said they will not break up the spending bill.
Any changes made by the Senate would also have to be approved by the Republican-controlled House, which is out of session and due to return to Washington on February 2.
WHAT SERVICES WOULD BE IMPACTED?
The federal court system says it will not have money to sustain full operations after February 4, which could disrupt hearings and other activities.
Tax processing, including refunds, could be disrupted if funding for the Internal Revenue Service lapses.
Data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics could be disrupted or delayed, as it was during the previous shutdown, leaving investors in the dark about the health of the U.S. economy.
Research activities at the National Institutes of Health could also be disrupted.
WHAT WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED?
Trump has already signed legislation that funds dozens of agencies for the current fiscal year.
Those include: the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Department of Commerce, NASA, the Department of Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Interior Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Agriculture Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation.
That means popular tourist destinations like the Grand Canyon and the National Zoo would be unaffected if the government shuts down. The SNAP food aid program likewise would continue.
Even in the agencies that run out of funding, hundreds of thousands of employees would be deemed “essential” and would continue to do their jobs. Those include military troops, air traffic controllers, and nearly all DHS employees: customs agents, airport security personnel, Border Patrol, and ICE.
Essential workers are typically not paid until Congress restores funding. But during the October-November 2025 shutdown, Trump kept pay flowing for troops and federal law enforcement, including Border Patrol and ICE.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN?
There have been 16 shutdowns since 1981, many lasting only a day or two.
The most recent one was also the longest, lasting 43 days from October 1 to November 12, 2025, prompted by an unsuccessful attempt by Democrats to extend healthcare subsidies that were due to expire at the end of the year.
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers were furloughed without pay and a wide range of services were disrupted, including air travel, food assistance and economic data. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that it would cost the U.S. economy about $11 billion.
(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Alistair Bell)
