Minneapolis shooting galvanizes some Trump faithful in Senate GOP

WASHINGTON — The fatal shooting of a Minnesota man by federal officers this weekend — as well as the Department of Homeland Security’s quick assessment of the incident — has spurred even some typically ardent Trump loyalists to call for an investigation into the shooting.

On Monday, a handful of Senate Republicans called for an independent investigation, and potentially more guardrails, into Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an intensive-care nurse, by federal agents in Minneapolis Saturday morning.

The Trump administration said the agent involved in the shooting acted in self-defense, a claim contradicted by witness accounts and video. Immediately after the shooting, which happened fewer than three weeks after a separate officer shot and killed another Minneapolis resident, Renee Good, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called Pretti a “domestic terrorist.”

Among those who spoke out against the administration’s response were occasional Republican Trump critics and more MAGA segments of the conference.

None, however, went as far as opposing a Department of Homeland Security spending bill which will come before the Senate this week, as many Senate Democrats have.

Calls for investigation

Instead, Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Monday called for an investigation, saying he was “deeply troubled by the shootings in Minneapolis involving federal agents.”

Sen. Michael D. Crapo, R-Idaho, said, “I support a full and impartial investigation into the events leading up to the death of Alex Pretti. His family, law-abiding citizens exercising their Second Amendment right and the trust of the American people deserve a fair process.”

Similarly calling for a “prioritized, transparent investigation” is Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., a strong Trump backer facing reelection this fall. He is fighting off a challenge from independent Dan Osborn, who In 2024 came within 7 points of defeating the state’s senior senator, Republican Deb Fischer.

Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, said he “will be working with a bipartisan group of senators to demand real oversight and transparency, including supporting calls” for a Senate hearing “for leaders of these operations to testify, so trust can be restored and justice served.”

“Officials who rush to judgment before all the facts are known undermine public trust and the law-enforcement mission,” Curtis continued. “I disagree with Secretary Noem’s premature DHS response, which came before all the facts were known and weakened confidence.”

Both Senate and House oversight committees with oversight of the DHS have requested testimony from officials at ICE, Customs and Border Protection and Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Monday invited officials to testify in front of the panel on Feb. 12.

“Congress has an obligation to conduct oversight of those tax dollars and ensure the funding is used to accomplish the mission, provide proper support for our law enforcement, and most importantly, protect the American people.” he said.

The Department of Homeland Security has said they will lead the investigation into the fatal shooting. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told CBS News on Sunday that they “don’t have any official information from federal law enforcement about what has happened.”

Noem is expected to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 3, a spokesperson for Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley of Iowa said.

Previous critics

Among the GOP critics of the shooting were those who have previously questioned Trump’s policies.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a moderate who often breaks with Trump, said the shooting “should raise serious questions within the administration about the adequacy of immigration-enforcement training and the instructions officers are given on carrying out their mission.”

“Lawfully carrying a firearm does not justify federal agents killing an American — especially, as video footage appears to show, after the victim had been disarmed,” she said. “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.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is retiring at the end of this term and who has also emerged as an occasional Trump critic, said, “There must be a thorough and impartial investigation into yesterday’s Minneapolis shooting, which is the basic standard that law enforcement and the American people expect following 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.

Senate Republicans currently hold 53 seats, meaning Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to win control and bypass Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote. It’s an improbability with the Senate map, but not an impossibility, especially with the public’s sinking view on the Trump administration’s immigration tactics.

A New York Times/Siena poll released on Friday found that 26 percent of respondents approved of ICE’s tactics so far while 61% found them as having “gone too far.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said, “The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake.”

Cassidy is facing a primary challenger after Trump surprisingly endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow earlier this month. She joins a crowded GOP race to take on Cassidy, who drew Trump’s ire with his vote to convict the president at his second impeachment trial.

“The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing,” he said. “There must be a full joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth.”

Still, their criticism has yet to go as far as many of their Democratic counterparts, who are now pledging to oppose the spending package needed to pass by Friday to fully fund the government if the funding for the Homeland Security Department remains part of it.

That package also includes the Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Transportation-HUD, Financial Services and National Security-State bills, which is effectively the bulk of the discretionary spending for the fiscal year that began last October. Current funding for most federal agencies is set to run out Jan. 30.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement on Monday, “The responsibility to prevent a partial government shutdown is on Leader (John) Thune and Senate Republicans. If Leader Thune puts those five bills on the floor this week, we can pass them right away. If not, Republicans will again be responsible for another government shutdown.”

Ricketts said, “My support for funding ICE remains the same. Enforcing our immigration laws makes our streets safer. It also protects our national security.”

Last year, immigration enforcement agencies saw a significant boost in funding with the passage of Trump’s budget reconciliation bill, commonly called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” That marquee bill, enacted in July, made ICE the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the nation.

Murkowski was the deciding vote on the passage of that legislation last summer.

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Jacob Fulton, Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire contributed to this report.

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