President Trump is sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota as congressional Republicans are calling for an investigation into the murder of Alex Pretti.<\/b>
\nIn the immediate aftermath of Alex Pretti\u2019s 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\u2019s 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. \u201cWe\u2019re looking, we\u2019re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination,\u201d 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.
\u201cHe has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there,\u201d Trump wrote of Homan on TruthSocial. \u201cTom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me.\u201d
Noem praised the decision to have Homan on the ground in Minnesota. \u201cThis is good news for peace, safety, and accountability in Minneapolis,\u201d 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\u2019s 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, \u201cMy top priority remains keeping Americans safe and ensuring the Department of Homeland Security can accomplish its core mission.\u201d
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican now facing a Trump-backed primary challenge, said in a statement, \u201cThe 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.\u201d
Thom Tillis, the outgoing North Carolina senator, called for a \u201cthorough and impartial investigation\u201d into the shooting, which he called the \u201cbasic standard\u201d for any officer-involved shooting. \u201cAny 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\u2019s legacy,\u201d 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 \u201cthorough investigation.\u201d Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts indicated that while he\u2019s still in support of funding ICE and the enforcement of immigration laws, \u201cwe must also maintain our core values as a nation, including the right to protest and assemble.\u201d
\u201cI expect a prioritized, transparent investigation into this incident,\u201d 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. \u201cIf 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\u2019s way, and there\u2019s a chance of losing more innocent lives or whatever, then maybe go to another city and let the people of Minneapolis decide, \u2018Do we want to continue to have all of these illegals?\u2019\u201d he said.
The influential Wall Street Journal editorial board is also calling for Trump to deescalate in Minnesota. \u201cWhether 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,\u201d the members wrote Sunday.<\/p>\n