Leading Republican figures have recently expressed criticism of ICE and Border Patrol following the fatal shooting of a man in Minnesota, marking a notable divergence from President Trump’s stance.
Congressman James Comer of Kentucky, who leads the House Oversight Committee, suggested that federal agents should consider withdrawing from Minneapolis due to the escalating tensions and fatal encounters faced by officers in the area.
The incident involved Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, who was filming the agents on the street when he was shot and killed on Saturday. This tragedy follows the recent death of protester Renee Nicole Good, also at the hands of ICE.
In an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures, Comer stated, “If I were Trump, I would consider the risk of further innocent lives being lost and perhaps relocate to another city, allowing Minneapolis residents to make their own decisions.”
Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana also addressed the incident, describing the death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol as “incredibly disturbing” on his social media platform, X.
Cassidy further emphasized the importance of accountability, stating, “The credibility of ICE and DHS is at stake,” and called for “a comprehensive joint investigation by both federal and state authorities.”
Cassidy concluded his statement by noting that ‘we can trust the American people with the truth.’
Washington State Republican Congressman Michael Baumgartner also noted that he was ‘disturbed by what’ he saw in the ‘video from Minnesota.’
James Comer, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, went as far to say that federal agents should leave Minneapolis altogether because of the heated, fatal situations officers have encountered in the city
Alex Pretti, a US citizen who was filming the agents on the street, was shot and killed on Saturday
Protestors fill the intersection in Minneapolis near the site of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino, a New York Republican, meanwhile doubled down on his previous requests for both DHS and ICE to testify before his committee ‘in the coming weeks’ in a statement issued Saturday.
Garbarino added that ‘it is critical that Congress conduct its due diligence to ensure the safety of law enforcement officers and the communities they protect’ and that he ‘expects recent events to be thoroughly discussed at’ the upcoming hearing.’
Meanwhile, the Trump administration can not get its talking heads all on the same page.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet The Press Sunday, President Donald’s Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche admitted to moderator Kristen Welker that he did ‘not know… and nobody else knows, either,’ if 37-year-old Alex Pretti was disarmed before he was killed.
Trump’s Border Patrol leader Greg Bovino argued during his own appearance on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday that Pretti was on the scene to ‘impede’ law enforcement, and that he should not have engaged with ‘an active law enforcement scene’.
CNN host Dana Bash pushed back on Bovino’s claims, asking for evidence that Pretti was involved in any action not protected by his First or Second Amendment rights.
‘Did he assault the Federal officer in any of the videos that you had seen,’ Bash asked Bovino, before adding that ‘it looked to us from every angle, sir, that he was approached by them when he was helping another individual who was pushed down.’
‘What evidence do you have that he was assaulting any law enforcement?’ Bash further asked.
Bovino doubled down on the claim that Pretti’s ‘help’ was not needed on the scene, then deflected to offer his take on the broader law enforcement situation in Minneapolis.
Bill Cassidy, a Senate Republican from Louisiana, called Saturday’s shooting ‘incredibly disturbing,’ in a statement posted to his X account
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that he did ‘not know. And nobody else knows, either,’ if 37-year-old Alex Pretti was disarmed before he was killed
Border Patrol leader Greg Bovino argued during and appearance on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday that Pretti was on the scene to ‘impede’ law enforcement
FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo Sunday that ‘you cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple.’
‘What our officers are faced with here in Minneapolis are chaotic, very difficult and violent situations,’ Bovino stated, before once again pointing the finger at Pretti for ‘bringing a loaded weapon to a riot’.
Bovino eventually argued that Pretti’s Second Amendment rights were voided by presenting as a threat to law enforcement officers.
‘We respect that Second Amendment right, but those rights don’t count when you riot and assault, delay, obstruct, and impede law enforcement officers and, most especially, when you mean to do that beforehand,’ Bovino said.
Bovino also said that he himself had attended a protest armed and that he supports individuals’ ability to do the same.
‘I’ve done that myself and fully support that, but not when you perpetrate violence, obstruct, delay, or obfuscate border patrol in the performance of their duties,’ Bovino noted.
FBI Director Kash Patel, however, seemed to counter Bovino’s arguments.
Patel told Fox News’ Bartiromo during his own Sunday news hit that ‘you cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple.’
‘You don’t have a right to break the law,’ Patel added.
Per Minneapolis law enforcement leaders, Pretti was carrying a gun legally.
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly appeared to side with Patel, posting on X: ‘Don’t obstruct law enforcement doing their job. It’s dangerous enough for them out there.
‘Doing so is a reckless assumption of risk that endangers you and everyone around you,’ Kelly added.
Concerns of congressional Republicans over the actions of Border Patrol and ICE, as well as calls for greater accountability, come as the threat of a government shutdown looms at the end of January if the US Senate does not pass a funding package.
Spending bills must clear a threshold of 60 votes, meaning if all Senate Republicans vote for the spending bills passed by the House, they need the support of a handful of Democrats as Republicans only hold 53 seats in the chamber.
