THE US government officially shut down today, the first anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, after lawmakers failed to agree on a stop-gap spending deal.

Senators were still negotiating on the Senate floor as the clock turned midnight, but Trump’s office issued a statement, blaming opposition Democrats for the crisis.

The administration accused Democrats of holding American citizens hostage, with White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders saying in a statement: “We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands.”

Democratic leaders have blamed the breakdown of a possible deal on Trump’s refusal to fund a programme that protects 700,000 “Dreamers” – undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children – from deportation.

Sanders said Democrats’ insistence that the interim measure included protection for the “Dreamers” killed the deal.

“Senate Democrats own the ‘Schumer Shutdown’,” she said, referring to the minority leader, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who met Trump yesterday.

“Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children and our country’s ability to serve all Americans.”

US federal services and military operations deemed essential will continue, but thousands of government workers will be sent home without pay until the crisis is resolved. – AFP, January 20, 2018.