26.01.2026 12:32
The shooting and killing of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by Border and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, USA, continues to cause a crisis in the country. Democratic senators have threatened to block the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget ahead of the upcoming budget discussions.
As concerns grow over the possibility of the government shutting down again in the U.S., disagreements in Congress regarding budget discussions have brought this possibility to the forefront.
ICE AGENTS' SHOOTING OF A PERSON INCREASES REACTIONS
In the U.S., where the longest government shutdown in history occurred last year due to budget shortfalls, the possibility of the federal government shutting down again by January 2026 has come to light. Following the shooting death of a person by a federal agent in Minneapolis on Saturday, reactions towards the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have increased.
PARTIAL SHUTDOWN POSSIBILITY STRENGTHENS
After the incident, ongoing concerns among Democratic members in Congress regarding the funding of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reignited. In this context, statements from Democrats indicating they would not approve the budget for the department suggested that the federal government in the U.S. could be heading towards a partial shutdown.
PARTIAL SHUTDOWN RISK AT MIDNIGHT FRIDAY
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that they would not vote on the budget proposal that includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which is set to be discussed this week. This situation has increased the risk of a partial shutdown of the federal government in the U.S. by midnight on Friday, January 30.
COMPANIES CALL FOR DE-ESCALATION
Meanwhile, over 60 executives from Minnesota-based companies have called for "immediate de-escalation" among state, local, and federal officials.
In a letter penned by companies including Target and Best Buy, it was stated, "In light of yesterday's tragic news, we call for immediate de-escalation and for state, local, and federal officials to work together."
It was emphasized that while the House of Representatives had previously approved the budget proposals, the accepted proposals also needed to be approved by the Senate.
Approval from only the House of Representatives is not sufficient. If the Senate does not approve or delays the process, funding for the relevant expenditure items cannot be provided. This situation is considered likely to lead to a partial or complete government shutdown.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAD APPROVED THE BUDGET PROPOSAL
Before these developments, the U.S. House of Representatives had approved budget proposals last week that would provide funding for the Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security.
As the temporary budget providing funding for most federal agencies in the U.S. is set to expire shortly before January 30, four proposals were put to a vote in the House of Representatives.
The budget proposal providing funding for the Department of Homeland Security was approved by a vote of 220 to 207, while proposals covering expenditures for other departments were approved by a vote of 341 to 88.
The total size of the budget proposals providing funding for the Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Homeland Security is noted to be approximately $1.2 trillion.
If the budget proposals, which will next go to the U.S. Senate, are also approved there, they are expected to be presented to U.S. President Donald Trump for his signature.
The aim is to prevent a partial shutdown of the federal government in the U.S. by enacting these proposals by January 30.
U.S. EXPERIENCED THE LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN HISTORY
The U.S. government shut down on October 1 due to Congress's failure to approve a temporary budget proposal to fund the federal government before the new fiscal year began.
As federal agencies lost their spending authority, the disagreement between the parties led to the longest shutdown in the country's history.
On the 40th day of the shutdown, Democratic and Republican senators reached a compromise on a temporary budget to reopen the government.
The Democrats' retreat from the condition of guaranteeing the extension of health care subsidies opened the way for the process to reopen the government.
On the 41st day of the shutdown, the Senate voted on the proposal, which was approved by a vote of 60 to 40. One Republican senator opposed the proposal, while eight "yes" votes came from Democratic or independent senators.
The budget proposal, which provides funding for most federal agencies in the U.S. until January 30 and for some federal agencies throughout the fiscal year, was approved in a vote in the House of Representatives by 222 to 209.