Trump’s ICE crackdown faces reckoning as outrage mounts over Alex Pretti shooting | Minneapolis

Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy militarized immigration agents in American cities may finally be reaching their limits as he faces widespread opposition across the United States, dissident lawmakers within his own party and looming court rulings following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis.

Although there is no indication that the aggressive tactics used by immigration enforcement are nearing an end, the Minneapolis mayor said the administration will begin reducing the number of federal agents in Minneapolis starting Tuesday, as the president and his team soften their harsh rhetoric regarding Pretti’s killing.

At a White House press briefing on Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt also struck a more conciliatory tone, calling Pretti’s death a “tragedy” and appearing to walk back earlier comments from adviser Stephen Miller, calling the intensive care nurse a “potential assassin.”

Trump said earlier Monday that his administration was reviewing the shooting of Pretti in Minneapolis by a federal officer and that he would send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota. Frey said he plans to meet with Homan on Tuesday to “further discuss next steps.”

A federal judge also heard arguments Monday on whether to stop the influx of federal officers into Minneapolis, but a ruling was not expected imminently.

Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — an otherwise regular target of the president’s anger and ridicule — said they had a call Monday to discuss the federal immigration push. The president described it in positive terms.

“It was a very good call, and we actually seemed to be on the same page,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Walz’s office released a statement hinting at signs of a future de-escalation of the situation. It says the governor and president had a “productive” call in which Trump “agreed to consider reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and working with the state in a more coordinated manner on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals.”

Later Monday, Trump said he had a “very good phone conversation” with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who sharply criticized the administration’s rollout: “A lot of progress is being made! »

In a statement, Frey said he conveyed to Trump that the current deployment, known as Operation Metro Surge, “must end.”

“The president has agreed that the current situation cannot continue,” Frey said, adding, “Some federal agents will begin leaving the area tomorrow, and I will continue to press for others involved in this operation to leave.”

Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino was expected to leave Minneapolis this week as the Department of Homeland Security reduces its presence in the city, according to multiple media outlets.

Pretti’s death resonated with the thousands of people who provided rapid response and community assistance. Outrage over Pretti’s killing prompted some to protest, with a protest at a hotel Sunday night bringing federal agents out of their rooms to shoot chemicals at demonstrators. A memorial for Pretti, filled with flowers, notes and candles, continues to grow at the site where he was shot.

Residents are undeterred by the violence, although they are shaken. They still get in their cars to track and document ICE activities, and gather food and supplies to distribute to families sheltering at home for fear of deportation.

“Maybe they want to make an example of us. Maybe they’re trying to break our spirit. Maybe they’re just locked in,” Minneapolis city council member Aisha Chughtai told the Guardian on Sunday. “This is a city that has a long history of resistance and standing up for ourselves and others. I think we will overcome this.”

On Monday evening, hundreds of candles were lit at Pretti’s memorial, created at the site of his murder – many of them scented candles and candles that neighbors had brought from their homes.

Brass Solidarity — a group formed in the wake of the 2020 killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd — played a rendition of Stand By Me, and dozens of people gathered around the memorial sand. The community band, led by Raycurt Johnson, normally plays once a week in George Floyd Square, near the site of Floyd’s murder. After Renée Good’s death, they began performing in her memory. On Monday, they honored Pretti.

“Say his name!” they shouted as they concluded their song. “Alex Pretti!” » replied the neighborhood.

Widespread outrage is registering in Washington as a growing number of Republicans push for a deeper investigation into federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after Pretti’s fatal shooting — a sign that the Trump administration’s accounting of events could face bipartisan scrutiny.

Republican Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee Andrew Garbarino requested testimony from the leaders of ICE, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, saying “my top priority remains keeping Americans safe,” according to the Associated Press.

Other congressional Republicans pressed for more information, including Texas Rep. Michael McCaul and Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Their statements, in addition to concerns expressed by several Republican governors, reflect a party grappling with how to respond to Pretti’s killing by federal agents.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, the former Republican from Georgia, showed her support for law enforcement, but defended the right to legally carry firearms. “I unapologetically believe in border security and the deportation of criminal illegal aliens and support law enforcement. However, I also unapologetically support the Second Amendment,” Greene wrote. “Legally, carrying a gun is not the same as brandishing a gun.”

Democrats have pledged to withhold any additional funding for DHS unless a bill soon to go to the Senate is amended to include reforms that would limit the actions of federal agents in their deportation spree.

Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, said Democrats would not provide the necessary votes if DHS funding remained within the measure. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader John Thune said DHS and other government funds would be passed as one package. Without compromise, the government risks a partial closure at the end of January.

Meanwhile, Homan has been the subject of controversy and is unlikely to defuse the situation in Minnesota.

Undercover FBI agents recorded him accepting $50,000 in cash in 2024 in exchange for promising future government contract assistance. Trump’s Justice Department closed the corruption investigation last year, citing insufficient evidence, which Democratic leaders called a cover-up.