What students need to know about the partial government shutdown

The government entered another shutdown on Saturday due to a continuing disagreement over immigration policies following the deaths of two Minnesotans by federal agents in January.

This shutdown is only partial, which signals a smaller lapse in funding and the likelihood of a short shutdown. Last time, the federal government shutdown lasted a record 43 days, starting on Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a budget before the Sept. 30 deadline.

Because Congress has already passed half of the year’s funding bills, important federal agencies and programs have the funds to continue operating through September.

In a major change from the fall shutdown, nutritional assistance programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), can remain operational.

Temporarily, there are funding lapses for the Pentagon and agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and Transportation. Core functions are continuing, but workers could go without pay if the closure gets lengthy.

The Associated Press reports that air travel may be impacted. One of the spending bills awaiting passage from the House covers the Department of Transportation, which is responsible for the air traffic control system and its workforce.

Why is there another shutdown?

While the government funding process has been running smoothly, the recent shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renée Good, changed the dynamic.

On Jan. 7, Renée Good was shot by federal agents in Minneapolis, MN. In the same city, nearly three weeks later, Alex Pretti was also shot and killed by federal agents on Jan. 24.

Following Renée Good’s death, UNF students held an on-campus protest to condemn the University of North Florida’s own agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In response to the death of Pretti and Good, Democrats in Congress blocked a spending package that included $64.4 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, the New York Times reports. Democrats say they would not hand any more funding to the department without substantial reforms.

They demanded that the DHS funding be removed from the rest of the deal while they worked out a separate compromise regarding immigration enforcement. Democrats say the bill must include a code of conduct for federal agents and a requirement that officers show identification, the Associated Press reports.

On Friday, the Senate passed legislation to fund the government and keep DHS running for two weeks while Republicans and Democrats negotiate. However, the funding package must pass the House again before the government can reopen. The House did not meet again until Feb. 2, meaning funding is lapsing for parts of the government, at least temporarily.

Previous shutdowns under the Trump administration

Under the Trump administration, there have been multiple short-term and long-term shutdowns.

Term One Shutdowns

In January 2018, a weekend shutdown occurred following disputes over immigration protections, and most benefits like Social Security and Medicare were uninterrupted.

The same year, the government shut down for a mere nine hours in February, the shortest shutdown in history.

Prior to 2025’s longest shutdown, the previous record holder also occurred under the Trump administration between 2018 and 2019. The 35-day shutdown was caused by disputes over funding for border security

Term Two Shutdowns

Trump’s first shutdown in his 2025-29 term began last October and lasted 43 days. According to the New York Times, the closure stemmed from Democrats blocking a temporary funding measure in the Senate due to concerns over Medicaid funding.

During this most recent October shutdown, Spinnaker spoke with political science professor Sean Freeder, who said that shutdowns point to larger political unrest and polarization, rather than the shortcomings of a single presidential administration.

“The fighting back and forth between the parties… this is all stuff that Americans should generally be concerned about in terms of the state of our democracy and also the state of the United States within the rest of the global context,” Freeder said.
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