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The United States government entered a partial shutdown on Saturday after Congress failed to pass the 2026 federal budget before the midnight deadline, triggering a temporary lapse in funding for large parts of the public sector.

The disruption is expected to be brief. Lawmakers indicated that the House of Representatives could approve a Senate-backed funding package early next week, following late-night action in the upper chamber aimed at limiting the shutdown’s impact.

Budget negotiations broke down amid anger among Democrats over the deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis during operations by federal immigration agents. The incident derailed talks on funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a central point of contention in negotiations, and ultimately prevented an agreement before the deadline.

As a result, non-essential government operations were suspended overnight. Departments affected include education, health, housing and defence, among others. Officials said roughly three-quarters of federal operations are impacted, and if the shutdown continues, tens of thousands of federal workers could be furloughed or required to work without pay until funding is restored.

“Instead of going after drug smugglers, child predators, and human traffickers, the Trump Administration is wasting valuable resources targeting peaceful protesters in Chicago and Minneapolis,” said Senate Democratic Minority Whip Dick Durbin. “This Administration continues to make Americans less safe.”

Late on Friday, the Senate passed a package covering the remaining five funding bills needed to finance most federal agencies through September. It also approved a two-week stopgap measure for DHS, giving negotiators additional time to resolve disputes over immigration enforcement.

President Donald Trump backed the Senate deal and urged the House to move swiftly, signaling his intention to avoid a prolonged shutdown. If confirmed, this would be the second government shutdown of his second term, following last autumn’s record-length closure that brought federal services to a standstill for more than a month.

(With IANS inputs)