Government shutdown averted after Congress votes to extend funding for two weeks

President Donald Trump suggests he won't be able to reach a deal with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown

President Donald Trump met with congressional leaders to discuss a host of issues, including government funding (Alex Brandon/AP)

The US Congress has voted to avert a government shutdown for now - but an immigration fight still looms as Democrats demand a permanent fix to protect young undocumented immigrants - so-called “Dreamers”.

The House of Representatives and Senate voted to extend government funding - which was set to run out on Friday - for another two weeks, setting up a potential showdown over controversial issues such as immigration later this month. Multiple Democratic senators have suggested they won't vote for any long-term government funding bill unless it also includes a permanent fix for so called Dreamers.

Former President Obama had protected young immigrants brought to the US as children - known as Dreamers - by allowing them to work and learn without the threat of deportation. However, President Donald Trump has rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme.

During an afternoon meeting with Mr Trump , House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader McConnell stressed that negotiations on immigration should be held separately on a different track, and not as part of the government funding bill, according to the White House.

A readout from Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “The President reiterated his priorities for ensuring any immigration package ends chain migration, constructs a border wall, and substantially strengthens immigration enforcement to stop illegal immigration and visa overstays.”

Before the start of the meeting in the Oval Office, Mr Trump stated they were all there “as a very friendly, well-unified group. It's a well-knit-together group of people.”

He added: “And we hope that we're going to make some great progress for our country. I think that will happen, and we appreciate it very much.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “We hope we can come to an agreement.”

“Funding the government is extremely important, helping our soldiers is very important, and helping average citizens is very important,” he added. “So we're here in the spirit of: let's get it done.”

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said they hoped to address topics including the opioid crisis, programmes for veterans and the Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP.

CHIP covers nearly nine million children whose parents earn too much for Medicaid - a healthcare programme for the those on low-incomes - but not enough to afford other coverage. Having run out of federal funding at the end of September, the programme is now in limbo.

The remarks by Mr Ryan and Mr McConnell were briefer.

“Mr President, we're here to reach a bipartisan agreement to finish out the year. And I'm glad that you invited us. I'm happy to be here.” Mr McConnell said.

Mr Ryan quickly stated: “I'm glad we're here to resume conversations,” a possible allusion to the weeks of drama and inflammatory remarks trading blame for the delay that had preceded the meeting.

The powwow was later moved from the Oval Office to the Situation Room, where the congressional leaders received a military update by Defence Secretary James Mattis.

The meeting between the top Democrats, top Republicans and Mr Trump was originally scheduled for last week. But Mr Schumer and Ms Pelosi abruptly pulled out after the President attacked them on Twitter for being "weak" and said that he didn't see how a deal could be done. Mr McConnell and Mr Ryan still attended the meeting and spoke ill of their Democratic counterparts' decision.

On Wednesday, the President told reporters a shutdown “could happen”.

“The Democrats are really looking at something that is very dangerous for our country. They are looking at shutting down,” he said. “They want to have illegal immigrants; in many cases, people that we don’t want in our country.”

Democrats say these claims are incorrect - that they don’t want a government shutdown or immigrants streaming into the country illegally.

Earlier on Thursday, Ms Pelosi said Democrats will insist on safeguards for those in the DACA programme before the Christmas recess later this month.

“We will not leave here without a DACA fix,” Ms Pelosi told the newspaper The Hill.

Mr Trump announced in September that he was rescinding DACA that helped nearly 800,000 Dreamers. He gave Congress until March to figure out a solution.

There was confusion in September over whether the President had made a deal with Democrats to permanently protect Dreamers and work out a package of border security, excluding Mr Trump's oft-promised border wall.

Ms Pelosi and Mr Schumer said both sides agreed that the wall would not be part of this agreement - but that the President made clear he intends to pursue it at a later time.

Mr Trump has maintained that building a wall along the US's southern border with Mexico will prevent illegal immigration, despite scepticism from experts and even members of his own party.

Ms Pelosi emphasised on Thursday that Democrats will accept tougher border security, but not border wall funding or provisions to bolster interior enforcement.

“We said to the president the night he agreed to the DACA legislation that we have a responsibility to protect our border, and we think there are many things we can do working together to do that,” Ms Pelosi said.

“[But] we’re not going to turn this country into a reign of terror of domestic enforcement and have the Dreamers pay that price,” she added.