On Thursday, Trump travels to the border to highlight what he calls an immigration "crisis." He delivered his first prime-time television address from the Oval Office on Tuesday to make his case for the border wall, according to Reuters news agency.
The funding fight stems from Congress' inability to complete work by a deadline last September on funding all government agencies. It did, however, appropriate money for about 75 per cent of the government on time - mainly military and health-related programmes.
US airport security workers and air traffic controllers working without pay have warned that security and safety could be compromised if the shutdown continues, but the Trump administration said staffing was adequate and travellers had not faced unusual delays.