A senior House Republican is urging President Trump to pull Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents out of Minneapolis, warning that unrest in the city will only get worse after protester Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a federal officer.
According to the New York Post, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) argued that the White House should consider a tactical retreat following the fatal shooting of the 37-year-old ICU nurse, particularly if theres a chance of losing more innocent lives.
Comer told Fox News Sunday Morning Futures that the administration should not allow federal officers to be placed in what he described as an increasingly untenable situation by local Democratic leaders.
If I were President Trump, I would almost think about, OK, if the mayor and the governor are going to put our ICE officials in harms way and theres a chance of losing more, you know, 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 of these illegals? Are we going to allow our governor, attorney general and mayor to get away with this? Comer said.
His comments underscored a growing conservative concern that federal law enforcement is being undermined by progressive city and state officials who refuse to cooperate on immigration enforcement while simultaneously failing to maintain public order. Comers suggestion that ICE be redeployed elsewhere effectively challenges Minneapolis residents to confront the consequences of their leaders sanctuary-style policies and hostility toward federal agents.
On Capitol Hill, Republican senators demanded a thorough accounting of the shooting, warning that the integrity of federal immigration enforcement is on the line. Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) both called for a full investigation into Prettis death, with Cassidy stressing that the administrations credibility was at stake.
The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing. The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth, Cassidy said in a statement on X. Ricketts, while reaffirming his backing for the agency, did not mince words about the gravity of the incident, describing the shooting as horrifying.
My support for funding ICE remains the same. Enforcing our immigration laws makes our streets safer. It also protects our national security. But we must also maintain our core values as a nation, including the right to protest and assemble, Ricketts said on X. I expect a prioritized, transparent investigation into this incident.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), often a moderate voice within the GOP, also signaled alarm over the use of force by federal agents. She emphasized that immigration officers are not above the law and must be held to strict standards when using deadly force.
ICE agents, she warned, do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties. Lawfully carrying a firearm does not justify federal agents killing an Americanespecially, as video footage appears to show, after the victim had been disarmed, she said on X.
A comprehensive, independent investigation of the shooting must be conducted in order to rebuild trust and Congressional committees need to hold hearings and do their oversight work. Her remarks reflect a broader conservative insistence that law and order must apply equally to citizens and to the federal officers sworn to protect them.
Outside Washington, Vermonts Republican Gov. Phil Scott issued a blistering statement condemning the circumstances surrounding Prettis death. He framed the shooting as a direct affront to constitutional liberties and the God-given rights of Americans to challenge their government.
Scott said it was not acceptable for American citizens to be killed by federal agents for exercising their God-given and constitutional rights to protest their government. Enough At best, these federal immigration operations are a complete failure of coordination of acceptable public safety and law enforcement practices, training, and leadership, said Scott.
At worst, its a deliberate federal intimidation and incitement of American citizens thats resulting in the murder of Americans. Again, enough is enough. His statement, unusually sharp for a Republican governor, underscored the unease even among conservatives when federal power appears to collide with peaceful dissent.
President Trump, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, signaled that his administration is reassessing the episode and the broader deployment of ICE in Minneapolis. He indicated that officials are examining the facts before making a final judgment.
Trump said his team was reviewing everything about the shooting and would issue a determination. I dont like any shooting. I dont like it, Trump added. But I dont like it when somebody goes into a protest, and hes got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesnt play good either.
The president also suggested that ICEs presence in the Twin Cities would not be permanent, hinting at a shift in federal strategy. He said immigration authorities would leave Minneapolis at some point, to be replaced by a different group of federal law enforcement tasked with pursuing a sweeping benefits fraud investigation focused on the citys Somali community.
Trump administration officials moved quickly to portray Pretti as the aggressor in the confrontation. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was among those asserting that Pretti had charged at officers while armed.
However, video recordings from the scene complicate that narrative and have fueled public outrage. The footage shows several agents pinning Pretti to the ground after he placed himself between officers and a woman who had been pepper-sprayed.
The same video appears to capture an agent disarming Prettiwho was licensed to carry his 9mm semiautomatic handgunjust moments before at least one other ICE officer opened fire. These images have intensified scrutiny of the agents actions and raised questions about the rules of engagement during domestic immigration operations.
Prettis death has exposed a fault line within the conservative movement, pitting long-standing support for the Second Amendment against the need to defend federal officers performing dangerous duties. Gun-rights advocates have been clear that lawful firearm ownership cannot be treated as a pretext for lethal force.
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.
The National Rifle Association echoed that sentiment, urging restraint in public commentary until all the facts are known. The group added that responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.
For many conservatives, the path forward lies in a transparent, credible inquiry that protects both the integrity of immigration enforcement and the constitutional rights of citizens. The demand from Republican lawmakers, governors, and gun-rights organizations for a serious investigation reflects a broader principle: a government committed to border security and law enforcement must also be unwavering in its respect for due process, self-defense, and peaceful protest.
Login