The U.S. federal government shutdown in December-January ended but that does not mean the end of the political dispute between President Donald Trump and the opposition Democrats in Congress. The crux of the conflict remains the president’s demand to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico. If the president, with the Republicans (GOP), and the Democrats want to avoid another shutdown, they must reach a compromise before 15 February. The Republicans’ scepticism of another shutdown makes the Trump administration more likely to reach an agreement with the Democrats in time. If not, the president may seek to bypass Congress to get wall funding.