Negotiators reach ‘tentative’ deal to avoid US government shutdown

House and Senate negotiators have reportedly reached a “tentative” agreement that would stop the US government from going into another partial shutdown at midnight on Friday.

The New York Times reports that the deal includes “$1.375 billion for physical barriers at the south western border”, well short of the $5.7 billion that Donald Trump has previously demanded.

That funding would allow for nearly 90 kilometres of fences along the border, less than a third of the 320 kilometres that Trump wants to fence off, the Washington Post says.

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The negotiators also agreed to reduce the number of migrants and undocumented immigrants who can be held in detention, a significant victory for Democrats.

The deal still needs to pass both the House and the Senate, and then be signed into law by the US president.

Speaking at a rally in El Paso, Texas, Trump told an audience of his supporters “Just so you know – we’re building the wall anyway”.

Trump has reportedly prepared a plan to declare a national emergency on the southern border, which would allow him to channel funds from other projects to build parts of the wall without approval from Congress.