Trump says he will sit down this week with Democrats on partial shutdown

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he will sit down with Democrats this week to discuss the partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"I will," Trump told reporters en route to Washington when asked if he would sit down with Democrats this week on DHS funding.

The partial government shutdown at the DHS began early Saturday after Congress failed to pass a funding bill before a midnight Friday deadline, with Democrats blocking the measure, demanding reforms to DHS and especially its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, whose aggressive crackdowns in US cities have met widespread opposition.

Trump reiterated that law enforcement has to be protected and blamed the Democrats for the shutdown.

"This has nothing to do with Republicans. This is a Democrat shutdown," he said.

The shutdown follows weeks of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans on reforms to immigration enforcement and oversight of agencies such as ICE and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Following the killing of two Americans by ICE agents in the state of Minnesota in January, Democrats have insisted on stronger oversight and tighter limits on immigration enforcement -- including banning the use of masks by ICE officers, requiring body cameras to remain on, and mandating visible identification -- as a condition for supporting the funding bill.

"We're going to protect law enforcement. We're going to protect ICE. They're part of the whole system that is working," Trump said.

The funding lapse affects DHS and its constellation of agencies, including the Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Without funding, many workers deemed essential will be forced to work without pay or furloughed, while others will be told to stay home.

But two of the agencies that have stoked Democratic furor amid Trump's migrant crackdown, ICE and CBP, are unlikely to suffer major operational effects from the partial shutdown through his One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed last year.

Lawmakers are expected to resume negotiations in an effort to end the partial shutdown, though there was no immediate indication of when a vote might occur.

If the partial shutdown drags on, tens of thousands of federal workers could be required to continue to work without pay, while some agencies might be compelled to scale back staffing levels until funding is restored.