Donald Trump has endorsed a spending deal negotiated by US Senate Republicans and Democrats that would stave off a government shutdown and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security.
The move comes as the US reels from the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.
“Republicans and Democrats have come together to get the vast majority of the government funded until September” while extending current funding for Homeland Security, Mr Trump said in a Truth Social post on Thursday evening.
He said he hoped members of both parties would cast a “much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ vote”.
The two sides have agreed to separate homeland security funding from a bigger spending bill and fund the Homeland department for two weeks while they debate Democratic demands for curbs on the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
The deal follows a Democrats vote to block legislation to fund the DHS on Thursday.
They have been pushing to remove funding for the DHS, of which ICE is a part, from the $1.2tn government spending package after the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.
The Senate could vote on the deal as soon as Thursday evening, with Mr Trump earlier telling his cabinet that he was optimistic of avoiding a shutdown.
The rare bipartisan talks between Mr Trump and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer came after calls by senators in both parties for a full investigation into Mr Pretti’s killing.
The standoff has threatened to plunge the nation into another shutdown, just two months after Democrats blocked a spending bill over expiring federal healthcare subsidies.
The government was closed for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate.
The shutdown ended when a small group of moderate Democrats tore away to strike a deal with Republicans, but Democrats are more unified this time after the fatal shootings of Mr Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents.
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Meanwhile, a new poll shows Mr Trump’s approval rating has dropped during his administration’s immigration crackdown.
The research, conducted by Pew between 20 and 26 January, shows the US president’s approval rating stands at 37%, down from 40% last Autumn.
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Half of the Americans surveyed say the administration’s actions have been worse than they expected.
Asked specifically about immigration policies, 74% of Americans believe it’s acceptable for ordinary people to record ICE arrests.
More than half (59%) said it’s acceptable for people to share information about where ICE operations are taking place.
