President Donald Trump said his administration was going to de-escalate a little bit in Minnesota, after the second fatal shooting of a US citizen by federal immigration officers there.
Bottom line, it was terrible. Both of them were terrible, he said in a Fox News interview on Tuesday.
In early January, Renee Good was fatally shot by an immigration officer, followed by Alex Pretti, who was killed after being stopped by border agents this past weekend.
Pretti's death reignited local protests and public outcry across the country, leading to criticism from lawmakers in both parties. Trump's remarks are the latest indication that his administration is taking a step back on its operations in Minnesota.
On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removed the Minnesota mission's leader, Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, from the state.
DHS stated it was deploying Tom Homan, the White House's border tsar, to take over, with plans for him to meet with local officials this week. On social media, Homan confirmed he had met with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and local law enforcement.
Trump characterized the killing of Pretti, an intensive care nurse at a veterans' hospital, as a very unfortunate incident. Asked about characterizations of Pretti as a domestic terrorist, Trump responded: I haven't heard that. He added that Pretti shouldn't have been carrying a gun.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Pretti was shot for brandishing a gun during a confrontation. Local authorities countered that Pretti's gun was legally registered and that he was shot after it was taken from him. Eyewitnesses and local officials have disputed the DHS account, asserting he had a phone in his hand at the time.
Noem accused Pretti of domestic terrorism following the shooting, stating he was not there to peacefully protest, but to incite violence.
Pretti's demise, coming two weeks after Renee Good’s shooting, stirred local anger and spurred calls from city and state officials for the Trump administration to withdraw its 3,000 immigration officers from the region.
In his Fox News interview, Trump defended the operation in Minnesota, asserting, we took thousands of hardened criminals out of the area, resulting in improved crime statistics. Despite this, he announced plans to de-escalate the operation.
Stephen Miller, a senior White House aide, noted that the administration had issued directives for personnel in Minnesota to conduct operations aimed at safeguarding their teams during arrests.
Calls for a thorough investigation into Pretti’s death have emerged, supported by several prominent Republican leaders, including Vermont Governor Phil Scott and US Senator Pete Ricketts. Ricketts emphasized the need for a transparent investigation while expressing his continued support for funding ICE.
A federal judge has intervened, blocking DHS from altering or destroying evidence related to these incidents.
During a rally in Iowa focused on his economic policies, Trump did not delve into the Minnesota situation, instead addressing immigration enforcement broadly and referencing a poll suggesting broad public support for his deportation initiatives.
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