GOP fractures grow as Minnesota shootings erode immigration crackdown support
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A local resident kneels while visiting a makeshift memorial in the area where Alex Pretti was shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 25. Photo: Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images
Some leading Republicans are demanding a thorough investigation after a second Minnesota resident was killed by federal immigration officials, a warning that backlash is brewing to President Trump's heavy-handed approach.
The big picture: While administration officials stayed on message and backed the federal agents in Minnesota, the criticisms show Republican cracks over Trump's increasingly unpopular immigration agenda.
What they're saying: One of the most high profile warnings came from Oversight Committee chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) who signaled to the administration — albeit gently — that federal agents should leave Minneapolis.
- "If I were President Trump I would almost think about ... if the mayor and the governor are going to put our ICE officials in harms way and there's a chance of losing more innocent lives ... then maybe go to another city," he said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."
- Comer predicted Minnesotans would "rebel against their leadership" while he still blamed state officials.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who is overseeing a precarious appropriations process as immigration enforcement surges in her state, said in a statement to Axios that the shooting "needs to be thoroughly and transparently investigated to determine whether or not excessive force was used in a situation that may have been able to be diffused without violence."
- She added, "I urge protestors to keep space between themselves and law enforcement and not to interfere with operations."
- Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) called the situation "horrifying" in a Sunday statement and called for a "prioritized, transparent investigation." He also said his support for funding ICE has not changed.
Zoom out: Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), head of the House Homeland Security Committee, on Saturday requested testimony from officials leading ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- However, his letters did not directly mention Saturday's shooting.
- Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.) applauded the requests, saying he was "disturbed" by the video out of Minnesota and stressing the importance of transparency in immigration enforcement operations.
Yes, but: Many of the Republicans who spoke out, including Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), are retiring or have frequently broken with Trump.
- They implored federal agents to cooperate with local law enforcement and avoid a rush to judgment.
- "The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing," wrote Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.). "The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake."
The other side: White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson praised the "heroic" immigration officers for capturing criminals "despite violent resistance and dangerous, untrue smears against them."
Catch up quick: After federal officials shot Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security claimed he had approached the officers with a gun and appeared to want to "massacre law enforcement."
- Top officials were also quick to label Pretti a domestic terrorist.
- However, footage from the scene shows Pretti filming the officers with a camera before he was sprayed with chemical agents and wrestled to the ground. Afterwards several shots ring out.
- Local officials have said Pretti lawfully possessed his weapon.
Friction point: Democrats are already demanding Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's impeachment, and the handling of Pretti's death threatens the administration's credibility even among allies, Axios' Marc Caputo reports.
- Notably, the incident put feds on a collision course with second amendment advocacy groups, typically friendlier to a gun-rights-focused GOP.
- Prominent voices in the splintered MAGA media landscape and broader conservative media criticized administration officials' rhetoric after the shooting, on the concealed-carry issue and beyond.
Go deeper: Trump officials stick "terrorist" label on Americans killed by DHS
