A growing number of Republicans are pressing for a deeper investigation into federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis, a sign that the accounting of events by President Donald Trump’s administration may face bipartisan scrutiny.
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee sought testimony from leaders at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, saying “my top priority remains keeping Americans safe.”
Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., said in a statement that he takes oversight of the Department of Homeland Security seriously and that “Congress has an important responsibility to ensure the safety of law enforcement and the people they serve and protect.”
The push for more information was echoed by the committee’s former chairman, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, along with Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Their statements, in addition to concern expressed from several Republican governors, reflected a party struggling with how to respond to Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse at a VA hospital.
The killing has raised uncomfortable questions about the GOP’s core positions on issues ranging from gun ownership to states’ rights and trust in the federal government.
Mr. Cassidy, who is facing a Trump-backed challenger in his reelection bid, said in a social media post that the shooting was “incredibly disturbing” and that the “credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake.” He, too, was pushing for “a full joint federal and state investigation.” Mr. Tillis, who is not seeking reelection, urged a “thorough and impartial investigation” and said “any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins are doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy.” Ms. Murkowski called for an investigation and added that “ICE agents do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties.”
Administration officials remained firm in their defense of the hard-line immigration enforcement tactics in the Minnesota city, blaming Democrats in the state along with local law enforcement for not working with them. Many Republicans either echoed that sentiment or stayed silent. Mr. Trump made no public appearances Sunday, though issued a number of social media posts on topics including the ballroom he is constructing at the White House and further criticism of Canada.
The White House will likely face at least some GOP pushback
Mr. Trump has enjoyed nearly complete loyalty from fellow Republicans during his first year back in the White House. But the positions staked out in the wake of the shooting signal that the administration will face at least some pushback within the party in its swift effort to define Mr. Pretti, who protested Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown, as a violent demonstrator.
Deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller issued social media posts referencing an “assassin” and “domestic terrorist.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Mr. Pretti showed up to “impede a law enforcement operation.”
At a minimum, some Republicans are calling for a de-escalation in Minneapolis.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told CNN’s “State of the Union” that the shooting was a “real tragedy” and Mr. Trump needs to tell Americans what the “end game” is.
“Nobody likes the feds coming to their states,” Mr. Stitt said. “And so what is the goal right now? Is it to deport every single non-U.S. citizen? I don’t think that’s what Americans want.”
He added: “Right now, tempers are just going crazy and we need to calm this down.”
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said the shooting was “not acceptable.”
“At best, these federal immigration operations are a complete failure of coordination of acceptable public safety and law enforcement practices, training and leadership,” he said in a post. “At worst, it’s deliberate federal intimidation and incitement of American citizens.”
Echoing criticism that local law enforcement isn’t 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 think about if the mayor and the governor are going to put our ICE officials in harm’s way and there’s a chance of losing more innocent lives or whatever, then maybe go to another city and let the people of Minneapolis decide do we want to continue to have all these illegals?” he told “Sunday Morning Futures” on the Fox News Channel. “I think the people of Minnesota would rebel against their leadership.”
A sensitive moment for the GOP
Mr. Pretti’s killing comes at a sensitive moment for the GOP as the party prepares for a challenging midterm election year. Mr. Trump has fomented a sense of chaos on the world stage, bringing the NATO alliance to the brink last week as he pushed Denmark to cede control of Greenland to the United States while also intensifying a dispute with Canada’s prime minister. Domestically, Mr. Trump has struggled to respond to widespread affordability concerns.
Meanwhile, approval of his handling of immigration – long a political asset for the president and the GOP — has tumbled in recent months. Just 38% of U.S. adults approved of how Mr. Trump was handling immigration in January, down from 49% in March, according to an AP-NORC poll.
The killing spurred notable tension with the GOP’s long-standing support for gun rights. Officials say Mr. Pretti was armed, but no bystander videos that have surfaced so far appear to show him holding a weapon. The Minneapolis police chief said Mr. Pretti had a permit to carry a gun.
Yet administration officials, including Ms. Noem and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have questioned why he was armed. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week” Mr. Bessent said that when he has attended protests, “I didn’t bring a gun. I brought a billboard.”
Such comments were notable for a party where support for the Second Amendment’s protection of gun ownership is foundational. Indeed, many in the GOP, including Mr. Trump, lifted Kyle Rittenhouse into prominence when the then-17-year-old former police youth cadet 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.
In the wake of Mr. Pretti’s killing, gun rights advocates quickly noted that it is legal to carry firearms during protests.
“Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms – including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights,” the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus said in a statement. “These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed.”
In a social media post, the National Rife Association said “responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.”
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is often critical of the White House, said “carrying a firearm is not a death sentence.”
“It’s a Constitutionally protected God-given right,” he said, “and if you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government.
The second-ranking Justice Department official said he was aware of reports that Mr. Pretti was lawfully armed.
“There’s nothing wrong with anybody lawfully carrying firearms,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on “Meet the Press” on NBC. “But just make no mistake about it, this was an incredibly split-second decision that had to be made by ICE officers.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.
