Didn’t we just have a shutdown? Why are we facing another one? 

The federal government shut down in October 2025 when Congress failed to pass an appropriations bill. Senate Democrats blocked the spending measure because it did not extend Affordable Care Act subsidies to help people get health insurance.

Eventually, eight Democrats in the Senate sided with Republicans to pass a resolution to reopen the government on a temporary funding measure until January 30, 2026.

Since then, Congress has been working to pass a dozen individual budgets for various federal agencies before funding runs out. President Trump has already signed six of them, but the Senate has yet to vote on a final measure to fund Homeland Security as well as other departments such as Defense, Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.

The Department of Homeland Security oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol as well as the Transportation Security Authority (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

The bill some Democrats are threatening not to pass after federal agents murdered a U.S. citizen would provide $64.4 billion to the department, including about $10 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to Time magazine. The measure is about $115 million less in discretionary spending for ICE than last year’s budget. 

Even if the current bill isn’t passed, ICE received $75 billion in the One Big Beautiful Bill, enough funding to continue operations for multiple years. But the current legislation gives lawmakers a chance to require some oversight of ICE and Border Patrol operations. 

FEMA, which plays a crucial role in Helene recovery in Western North Carolina, would receive $32 billion including $26.4 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund, according to the Federal News Network, if the bill is passed.

How did we get here?

The U.S. House approved the DHS funding measure last week, days before Pretti’s death, so now it moves to the Senate for a possible vote this week.

In the House, seven Democrats broke with the rest of their party to support it, including one North Carolina Congressman, Don Davis. At the time, Davis said he voted for the bill because of the FEMA funding.

In an Instagram post, Davis said eastern NC also relies on a strong Coast Guard, another unit under DHS control.

“A thorough, independent investigation into this fatal shooting is essential to uncover the full facts and to ensure accountability can be determined,” Davis said in a statement released hours after Pretti’s killing. “The Trump administration must take immediate and decisive action to bring an end to this violence and disorder that have taken lives and undermined public trust.”

House Republicans were united in their support of the broader bill funding the U.S. military and Department of Homeland Security before Pretti’s death.

All Republicans in the NC delegation voted for the funding including Reps. Greg Murphy, Virginia Foxx, Addison McDowell, David Rouser, Mark Harris, Richard Hudson, Pat Harrigan, Chuck Edwards, Brad Knott and Tim Moore.  

“This package strengthens our military, takes care of our troops, keeps America safe, and enacts Trump-era priorities,” Hudson said in a statement last week. “We’re funding our military, protecting taxpayers, and delivering results for North Carolina.”

What happens now?

The DHS funding bill could come up for a vote in the Senate this week. 

Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer has said his party will not vote for it if it includes more funding for ICE or CBP. That would leave Republicans well below the 60-vote threshold needed to pass it.

Schumer and other Democrats have called on Senate leadership to vote on ICE and CBP funding separately, but it’s not yet clear how they will proceed.

In a statement, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis also called for a “thorough and impartial investigation” of Pretti’s shooting, but did not say whether he would support the bill as written.

“Any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins [is] doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy,” Tillis added.

NC Local reached out to North Carolina’s other U.S. Senator, Ted Budd, to ask about his support for the measure. His press office did not respond before publication.

What would be affected in a partial shutdown?

Sen. Schumer said he wants to move funding forward for all departments except Homeland Security. If Republican Senators agree, the shutdown would affect less than 10% of the federal government. 

President Trump signed a bill last week that funds the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and NASA, according to PBS. That means some agencies like the National Park Service that had to close during last year’s government shutdown would remain open if there’s another shutdown this weekend. 

Federal food benefits, such as SNAP, are also not affected by this week’s votes.

A shutdown could affect other parts of the Department of Homeland Security beyond immigration enforcement. For example, TSA is under DHS authority, so if a DHS funding bill is not passed, airport security could be affected. 

TSA agents are required to work, even if pay is halted, but in prior shutdowns, agents have called out at much higher than normal rates.

The effects for air travelers may be less severe this time around if the bill funding the Department of Transportation, which oversees the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), can be passed separately from the DHS bill. 

FEMA, the agency charged with addressing natural disasters, also falls under DHS authority. The bulk of FEMA funding is in the Disaster Relief Fund, and many people in Western North Carolina are relying on FEMA assistance to rebuild from the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

In recent years, FEMA spending has dramatically increased. For example, Congress appropriated $20 billion to the disaster fund for the 2024 fiscal year, and the agency spent about half of the total amount in eight days, according to the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit think tank. 

This week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt cited FEMA funding as one of the reasons Congress should pass the appropriations bills and avoid a government shutdown.

What NC representatives are saying

U.S. Senator Ted Budd’s statement, January 27, 2026

“Alex Pretti’s death is a tragedy that should never have happened. His shooting must be fully investigated. Initial rushes to judgment did not meet the standard that Americans should expect from their government officials.

“Minnesota’s leaders failed their constituents by embracing sanctuary policies that endanger the communities they swore an oath to serve and protect.

“Encouraging protestors to impede federal law enforcement is not just irresponsible but violates the social contract laid out in our Constitution—principally, that federal law is the Supreme Law of the Land.

“The response has been a network of well-funded, well-equipped, and well-organized agitators flooding Minneapolis to harass, provoke, and endanger law enforcement simply carrying out the immigration laws of the United States—laws once supported and enforced by both political parties.

“I’d also like to remind federal leaders that words matter. Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms, and the mere possession of a firearm does not represent a threat justifying lethal force.

“Given heavy-handed rhetoric and recent events, we have seen an erosion of trust in federal immigration officials growing among too many Americans.

“The brave men and women of ICE, CBP, and others do incredible work every day to keep us safe, often at great personal risk. They deserve better. Communities across the country are safer today as a result of their successful efforts to remove violent criminals.

“President Trump was right to make securing our border and enforcing our immigration laws his signature promises on the campaign trail and in office.

“I support the President’s goals and the mission of our federal law enforcement. They must be allowed to carry out their duties without further obstruction. Peaceful protests are an American right and tradition, but impeding law enforcement remains a crime.

“Finally, our leaders have a responsibility to ensure that operations are planned and carried out judiciously.

“I am hopeful that Tom Homan’s leadership on the ground in Minnesota will result in orderly and systematic operations focused on keeping Americans safe—starting with the most dangerous and violent offenders who have come into our country illegally.”

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis’ statement, January 25, 2026

“There must be a thorough and impartial investigation into yesterday’s Minneapolis shooting, which is the basic standard that law enforcement and the American people expect following any officer-involved shooting. For this specific incident, that requires cooperation and transparency between federal, state, and local law enforcement. Any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins are doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy.“

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