A growing number of Republicans are calling for a deeper investigation into federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a US Border Patrol Agent fatally man shot dead in Minneapolisa sign that the Trump administration’s accounting of events could face bipartisan scrutiny.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino requested testimony from leaders of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, saying “my top priority remains keeping Americans safe.”
A host of other congressional Republicans, including Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas and Sens. Thomas Tillis from North Carolina, Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, pressed for more information. Their statements, in addition to concerns expressed by several Republican governors, reflect a party grappling with how to respond to Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at a VA hospital.
Trump administration officials were quick to point to Pretti as the instigator. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was among those who said Pretti “approached” immigration agents with a gun and acted violently. Videos from the scene show Pretti being pushed by an officer and then half a dozen officers descend on him. During the scuffle, he held a phone but was never seen brandishing the 9mm semi-automatic handgun that police say he was licensed to carry.
The killing raised uncomfortable questions about the Republican Party’s core positions on issues ranging from gun ownership to states’ rights and trust in the federal government.
Cassidy, who faces a Trump-backed challenger in his re-election campaign, said on social media that the shooting was “incredibly disturbing” and that “the credibility of ICE and DHS is at stake.” He pushed for “a full federal-state joint investigation.” Tillis, who is not seeking re-election, called for a “thorough and impartial investigation” and said “any administration official who rushes to judgment and attempts to end an investigation before it begins is doing a great disservice to the nation and the legacy of President Trump.”
Murkowski called for an investigation and added that “ICE agents do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties.” Collins, the only incumbent Republican senator likely to win re-election in a state where Democrat Kamala Harris carried in 2024, said an investigation was needed “to determine whether or not excessive force was used in a situation that could have escalated without violence.”
While calling on protesters to “hold space” from law enforcement and not interfere, Collins said federal law enforcement must “recognize both the public’s right to protest and the very tense situation they are currently facing.”
Even the senator. Pete Rickettsa loyal ally of the president Donald Trumpcalled for a “priority and transparent investigation”.
“My support for defunding ICE remains the same,” the Nebraska Republican, running for re-election, said online. “But we must also preserve our core values as a nation, including the right to protest and assemble. »
Trump and other administration officials have remained steadfast in their defense of tough immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis, accusing state Democrats as well as local law enforcement of failing to work with them. Many Republicans either echoed that sentiment or remained silent.
In a lengthy social media post Sunday evening, Trump called on Democratic leaders in Minnesota to “formally cooperate” with his administration and pressed Congress to ban so-called sanctuary cities.
The White House will likely face at least some GOP pushback
Trump enjoyed almost complete loyalty from his fellow Republicans during his first year in the White House. But positions taken following the firing signal that the administration will face at least some resistance within the party in its rapid effort to define Pretti, who has protested. Trump’s crackdown on immigrationas a violent protester.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted messages on social media referring to an “assassin” and a “domestic terrorist,” while Noem said Pretti showed up to “prevent a law enforcement operation.”
At a minimum, some Republicans are calling for de-escalation in Minneapolis.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told CNN’s “State of the Union” that the shooting was a “true tragedy” and that Trump needed to define an “endgame.”
“Nobody likes the federal government coming into their state,” Stitt said. “So what is the current goal? Is it to deport all non-U.S. citizens? I don’t think that’s what the Americans want.”
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said the shooting was “not acceptable.”
“At best, these federal immigration operations are a complete failure in coordinating acceptable public safety and law enforcement practices, training and leadership,” he said in a message. “At worst, this is deliberate intimidation and incitement by the federal government against American citizens.”
Echoing criticism that local law enforcement is not cooperating with federal officials, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., suggested the administration focus its immigration efforts elsewhere.
“If I were President Trump, I would almost wonder if the mayor and the governor are going to put our ICE officials in danger and if there’s a chance of losing more innocent lives or whatever, then maybe go to another city and let the people of Minneapolis decide if we want to continue to have all these illegals? he told “Sunday Morning Futures” on the Fox News channel. “I think Minnesotans would rebel against their leaders.”
A sensitive moment for the GOP
Pretti’s killing comes at a sensitive time for the Republican Party as the party prepares for a difficult midterm election year. Trump has fomented a sense of chaos on the world stage, bringing The NATO alliance on the brink of collapse last week. Domestically, Trump has struggled to address widespread affordability concerns.
Meanwhile, approval of his handling of immigration — long a political asset for the president and the Republican Party — has plummeted. Just 38% of American adults approved of Trump’s handling of immigration in January, down from 49% in March, according to a report. AP-NORC survey.
The killing sparked notable tensions with the Republican Party’s long-standing support for gun rights. Authorities say Pretti was armed, but no bystander video that has surfaced so far appears to show him holding a weapon. The Minneapolis police chief said Pretti had a license to carry a gun.
Still, administration officials, including Noem and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, questioned why he was armed. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Bessent said that when he attended protests, “I didn’t bring a gun. I brought a billboard.”
Such comments were notable for a party for which support for the Second Amendment’s protection of gun ownership is fundamental. Indeed, many in the Republican Party, including Trump, brought Kyle Rittenhouse to the forefront when the former police cadet, then 17, shot three men, killing two of them, during a 2020 protest in Wisconsin against police brutality. He was acquitted of all charges after testifying that he acted in self-defense.
Following Pretti’s killing, gun rights advocates emphasized that it was legal to carry a gun at protests.
“Every peaceful Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms, including when attending protests, acting as an observer, or exercising their First Amendment rights,” the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus said in a statement. “These rights do not disappear when someone is legally armed. »
In a social media post, the National Rifle Association said “responsible public voices should wait for a full investigation, without making generalizations or demonizing law-abiding citizens.”
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a frequent critic of the White House, said “carrying a gun is not a death sentence.”
“This is a divine right protected by the Constitution,” he said, “and if you don’t understand that, you have no business being in law enforcement or government.”
The second Justice Department official said he was aware of reports that Pretti was legally armed.
“There is nothing wrong with anyone legally carrying firearms,” Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “But make no mistake, this was an incredibly quick decision that had to be made by ICE agents.”
___
Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.
