Audio By Carbonatix
US President Donald Trump has said Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have reached an agreement to move forward with parts of a funding package.
Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed to a package of five spending bills on Thursday, but removed a sixth bill from the package related to funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), CBS News, the BBC's US partner, reported.
Funding for DHS will remain at its current level for two weeks while both sides work out a new deal to fund the agency, CBS News reported.
US President Donald Trump endorsed the deal, and wrote in a post on social media: "Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed bipartisan 'YES' vote."
The deal approves funding for the defence department, the health department, the treasury, the federal court system and other agencies until the end of the 2026 fiscal year on 30 September.
In his post, Trump added: "Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to get the vast majority of the Government funded until September, while at the same time providing an extension to the Department of Homeland Security (including the very important Coast Guard, which we are expanding and rebuilding like never before)."
Democrats have been pushing to remove funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from a $1.2tn (ÂŁ870bn) federal spending package since a federal agent killed a second US citizen in Minneapolis over the weekend.
The DHS is a sprawling department encompassing multiple agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Coast Guard and Secret Service.
Thousands of federal agents from ICE and CBP have been deployed to Minnesota as part of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown in the state.
In Minneapolis, an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good on 7 January, and a Border Patrol officer shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti on 24 January. Both killings and the ongoing immigration operation in the state have sparked protests around the country. The second shooting led Democrats and some Republicans to push back on approving DHS funding.
Among the changes to DHS Democrats are seeking are requirements that federal agents obtain warrants before making arrests and clearer rules governing how they identify themselves.
On Wednesday, some Senate Democrats escalated their demands, expressly calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's removal, and for structural changes to both ICE and CBP.
"This madness," Schumer said, "this terror must stop."
Some Republicans pushed back, with John Cornyn of Texas saying that "any changes must not come at the expense of shutting down the government".
What happens next?
The spending bill had already passed in the House of Representatives, but in the Senate, it needed 60 votes to advance.
There are only 53 Republican senators in the 100-member body, meaning that passing the bill required support from at least some Democratic members.
Before the Senate reportedly agreed to remove the DHS bill from the package, a procedural vote to advance the budget failed 45-55 earlier on Thursday. All Democrats voted no, along with eight Republicans who cited concerns about wasteful spending.
Earlier this week, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said, "I will vote no on any legislation that funds ICE until it is reined in and overhauled, and Senate Democrats are overwhelmingly united on this issue."
Because the Senate removed the DHS bill from the six-bill package, the package will now need to be re-approved by the House, whose lawmakers are not due back until Monday.
That means that funding for the departments included in the package could lapse over the weekend until the House convenes on Monday. The effects will be minimal, however, as many government services do not operate on weekends.

What is a 'partial shutdown'?
The entire US federal government will not be affected by a shutdown if one occurs this weekend.
It would be only partial, as legislation has already been passed to fund dozens of agencies through the end of the 2026 fiscal year.
Other branches included in the same spending bill as DHS are the defence department, the health department, the treasury and the federal court system.
The reported agreement between Republicans and Democrats would remove DHS funding from the bill, allowing Congress to pass the overall package.
DHS funding would be extended for two weeks, giving negotiators time to reach an agreement on immigration tactics, according to the reported deal.
The DHS is a sprawling department encompassing multiple agencies, including ICE, CBP, the Coast Guard and Secret Service.
During a partial shutdown, employees who are "essential" to the functioning of impacted agencies continue to work, but will not be paid until funding is restored - unless the government finds other sources, as Trump did with military personnel last year.
How long was the last shutdown?
The most recent shutdown lasted 43 days, from 1 October to 12 November last year, making it the longest in US history.
Democrats initially refused to support the funding bill, demanding that Republicans agree to extend health insurance subsidies for low-income Americans, which were set to expire at the end of the year.
Eventually, enough Democrats crossed the aisle to help pass the bill.
That shutdown left around 1.4 million federal employees on unpaid leave or working without pay. Food aid was also left in limbo, and air travel was severely disrupted across the US.
There have been 16 government shutdowns since 1981, though some lasted only days.
Latest Stories
-
MPs partner with Afarinick to boost Ghana’s cocoa production capacity
9 minutes -
Where are the jobs?- Sammy Awuku questions government
17 minutes -
Ghana needs effective solutions to rising unemployment, not slogans – Oppong Nkrumah
21 minutes -
Oppong Nkrumah calls for overhaul of Ghana’s youth employment strategy
31 minutes -
Minnesota attacker pleads guilty in killing of lawmaker and husband, avoids death penalty
33 minutes -
When does personal conduct become institutional responsibility? The GES debate explained
34 minutes -
Scientific consensus calls for wildlife protection to be integrated into global climate change policy
48 minutes -
Seequent turning old data into the new mining edge
49 minutes -
NPA receives ultra-modern tanker drivers’ rest stop at BOST Kumasi depot
52 minutes -
Toronto police officer dies in raid linked to US consulate shooting
55 minutes -
Black Sherif and how to listen to Ghanaian pop
1 hour -
GOIL proposes GH¢23.5m dividend, profit rises to GH¢90.67 million
1 hour -
African Forest Forum study finds gaps in science journalism and forestry reporting in Africa
1 hour -
Sunnyside Schools marks AU Day, calls for stronger cultural awareness among learners
1 hour -
“Love is not enough?” – itz Tiffany’s “Money” teaser ignites debate over modern relationships
1 hour