The deadly shooting of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis — the second immigration officer-involved fatality in the Twin Cities this month — is prompting unusually sharp pushback from many Republicans on Capitol Hill.
It’s not just President Donald Trump’s usual GOP skeptics, either.
Of course, the strongest words have come from the president’s most frequent Republican critics. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called the killing “shocking,” saying the “tragedy and chaos” should raise “serious questions within the administration” about how officers are trained and instructed.
“ICE agents do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties,” she wrote on X.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called for a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the officer-involved shooting, directly criticizing what he described as a rush to judgment from administration officials and some Republicans.
“Any administration official who rushes to judgment and tries to shut down an investigation before it begins [is] doing an incredible disservice to the nation and to President Trump’s legacy,” he wrote on X.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, echoed the concerns, saying the shooting “needs to be thoroughly and transparently investigated to determine whether excessive force was used in a situation that may have been able to be diffused without violence.”
But unlike previous controversies, in which Trump’s allies have usually closed ranks around him and supported his actions, a growing number of GOP lawmakers aligned with the president are voicing disagreement, underscoring the deep discomfort Republicans feel as the administration continues its immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
Many say they simply want answers.
Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., said the public needs “a full investigation into the tragedy in Minneapolis.” Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., called the shooting “horrifying” and said he expects “a prioritized, transparent investigation into this incident.”
Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, who served in the first Trump administration, said “there are serious unanswered questions about federal use of force in Minnesota.”
“Transparency and accountability are essential,” Miller said.
Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, also requested a trio of officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to testify during a public hearing hours after the shooting.
“It is critical that Congress conduct its due diligence to ensure the safety of law enforcement officers and the communities they protect,” Garbarino said in a statement.
Other Republicans were even more direct, saying they were horrified by the fatal shooting of Pretti, which was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who led the House Homeland Security Committee during Trump’s first term, said he was “deeply troubled by the events that have unfolded in Minneapolis.”
“As an attorney and former federal prosecutor, I believe a thorough investigation is necessary — both to get to the bottom of these incidents and to maintain Americans’ confidence in our justice system,” McCaul said.
It was a similar story with other Republicans.
Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., said he was “disturbed.” Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., said the shooting was “deeply concerning” and “demands a comprehensive and transparent investigation.” And Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., called the shooting “tragic,” said he wanted an investigation and added that “the American people don’t want violence to be a side effect of controlling our borders.”
Part of the reason why so many Republicans have shown willingness to criticize the shooting is that Trump himself has begun distancing himself from it. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Trump said the administration was investigating the shooting, and he declined to defend the officers who were involved in the shooting.
But the calls for clarity come after Department of Homeland Security officials and White House aides hastily made statements about the shooting that were quickly contradicted by bystander videos.
In one of the most widely circulated moments, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti was “brandishing” a firearm, but footage shows no visible gun on his body. He was holding a cellphone and appeared to be filming federal agents.
A source close to the DHS probe told MS NOW that Pretti had a firearm in his holster, which agents can be seen taking from him during the interaction. Minneapolis’ police chief said Pretti was the legal owner of a weapon with a permit to carry it.
Noem also claimed that Pretti “arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and kill law enforcement.” In videos, however, the intensive care unit nurse is captured trying to help a woman who was pushed down by a masked officer.
Some Republicans are also taking issue with Noem’s comments about Pretti attending the protest with a firearm, which he was legally carrying in an open-carry state. At a news conference, Noem said: “I don’t know of any peaceful protesters that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign.”
“This is a violent riot when you have someone showing up with weapons,” she added.
But Republicans and gun activists have said those comments infringe on Second Amendment rights, adding another layer of controversy to the weekend shooting.
“Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a Constitutionally protected God-given right,” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., wrote on X, “and if you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government.”
Syedah Asghar contributed to this report.
Mychael Schnell is a reporter for MS NOW.