Johnson says no quick House vote to end partial shutdown and blames Democrats for their ICE demands

Government Shutdown to Continue as Congress Debates Immigration Enforcement Restrictions

A partial federal government shutdown is expected to stretch into the coming week as lawmakers negotiate over restrictions on immigration enforcement operations, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Sunday. The Louisiana Republican indicated that a vote on the government funding package won’t take place for several days, prolonging the shutdown that began over the weekend.

Johnson revealed that President Donald Trump is taking a leading role in resolving the impasse. “The president is leading this,” Johnson told Fox News Sunday. “It’s his play call to do it this way.” He added that Trump has “already conceded that he wants to turn down the volume” on federal immigration enforcement activities.

The current standoff emerged after Trump struck a deal with senators to separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security from the broader government funding package. This decision followed public outrage over two shooting deaths during protests in Minneapolis against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. The Senate approved a measure Friday that would temporarily fund DHS for two weeks, establishing a deadline for Congress to debate and vote on new restrictions on ICE operations.

Johnson faces significant challenges in moving the legislation through the House. Democrats are refusing to provide votes for quick passage, demanding more substantial restraints on ICE than the $20 million for body cameras already included in the bill. They want federal immigration agents to unmask and identify themselves, end roving patrols, and implement other operational changes.

“What is clear is that the Department of Homeland Security needs to be dramatically reformed,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said on ABC’s “This Week.” The New York Democrat insisted that negotiations on changes to immigration enforcement should begin immediately rather than over the next two weeks.

“Masks should come off,” Jeffries stated. “Judicial warrants should absolutely be required consistent with the Constitution, in our view, before DHS agents or ICE agents are breaking into the homes of the American people or ripping people out of their cars.”

Without Democratic support, Johnson must rely on his slim House Republican majority to advance the legislation. The process will begin in committee on Monday, pushing a potential floor vote to at least Tuesday. House Democrats planned a private caucus call Sunday evening to discuss their strategy.

Meanwhile, numerous federal agencies are caught in the funding standoff. Defense, health, transportation, and housing departments have received shutdown guidance from the administration. While many operations deemed essential will continue and services won’t necessarily be interrupted immediately, federal workers could go without pay if the impasse continues, and some may face furloughs.

This marks the second federal shutdown in recent months. Last fall, Democrats triggered what became the longest shutdown in U.S. history—43 days—as they protested the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits. That shutdown ended with a promise to vote on proposals to extend the tax breaks, but the legislation never advanced, resulting in premium spikes for millions of Americans in the new year.

The Trump administration appears eager to resolve the current shutdown quickly. Johnson said he was present in the Oval Office when Trump, along with border czar Tom Homan, spoke with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to work out a deal. “I think we’re on the path to get agreement,” Johnson told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Johnson indicated that body cameras and ending roving patrols are potential areas of agreement. However, he expressed concerns about unmasking agents and displaying their names on uniforms, saying it could endanger law enforcement officers who are being targeted by protesters. “I don’t think the president would approve it—and he shouldn’t,” Johnson said.

Democrats contend that immigration operations have become dangerously unrestrained. Growing numbers of lawmakers are calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired or impeached. Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who led efforts for more substantial changes, described the situation in Minnesota as “a dystopia” and claimed “ICE is making this country less safe, not more safe today.”