Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
In the immediate aftermath of Alex Pretti’s killing at the hands of federal agents on Saturday, federal officials quickly alleged the victim was guilty of domestic terrorism and offered up a version of events that appeared to contradict footage of the incident. But after widespread pushback, including from several Republicans, President Donald Trump said his administration will be looking into Pretti’s death, and that he will send new leadership to oversee the increasingly restive scene in Minneapolis.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, the president did not say whether he thought the U.S. Border Patrol officer made the right decision in shooting Pretti when prompted twice. But he said the federal government will investigate what happened in the altercation. “We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination,” Trump said.
While Trump has yet to signal any plans for drawing down the deployed federal immigration agents in Minnesota, he does appear to be shifting tactics. On Monday, the president announced that border czar Tom Homan will be sent to the state later that evening. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that Homan has been tasked with leading ICE operations in the state in what appears to be a rebuke of Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem, who quickly assailed Pretti after his death, and Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, who did the same.
“He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there,” Trump wrote of Homan on TruthSocial. “Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me.”
Noem praised the decision to have Homan on the ground in Minnesota. “This is good news for peace, safety, and accountability in Minneapolis,” she said in a statement.
The killing of Pretti, a registered nurse who worked in the ICU at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, sparked outrage nationwide. Scores of elected Democrats in Minnesota and across the country called for federal agents to leave the city and for Noem’s resignation. But several Republican members of Congress have also called for an inquiry into the shooting with some even urging the actions of the Department of Homeland Security and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement be probed.
New York Congressman Andrew Garbarino, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, requested the leaders of ICE, U.S. Customs and Borders Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services testify in a full committee hearing, writing, “My top priority remains keeping Americans safe and ensuring the Department of Homeland Security can accomplish its core mission.”
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican now facing a Trump-backed primary challenge, said in a statement, “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.”
Thom Tillis, the outgoing North Carolina senator, called for a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the shooting, which he called the “basic standard” for any officer-involved shooting. “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,” he said in a statement.
Notably, even more conservative members of the party expressed their concerns. South Dakota congressman Dusty Johnson and Texas congressman Michael McCaul are both calling for a “thorough investigation.” Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts indicated that while he’s still in support of funding ICE and the enforcement of immigration laws, “we must also maintain our core values as a nation, including the right to protest and assemble.”
“I expect a prioritized, transparent investigation into this incident,” he said.
And James Comer, an ally and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, appeared to suggest in an Sunday interview on Fox News that Trump consider pulling immigration officers out of Minnesota entirely. “If I were President Trump, I would almost think about, okay, 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 of these illegals?’” he said.
The influential Wall Street Journal editorial board is also calling for Trump to deescalate in Minnesota. “Whether he likes it or not, most of the burden now lies with Mr. Trump as the President who controls ICE. He would be wise to pause ICE enforcement in the Twin Cities to ease tensions and consider a less provocative strategy,” the members wrote Sunday.
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