Washington, January 27 - The shooting death of a second civilian protester in Minneapolis over the weekend has undermined the Republican Party's strong defense of U.S. President Donald Trump's deportation policies.
At least, that seems to be the case, according to assessments in the media. Some Republicans are concerned that Trump's deportation campaign has gone too far. "People want stability and confidence, and this does not seem like stability or confidence," warned a source close to the administration.
Images from videos capturing the final moments of Alex Pretti's life, the way federal immigration agents were beating him, and then the close-range gunshots that took his life sparked an outrage that crosses partisan lines.
Pretti, 37 years old, is the second U.S. citizen to fall victim in Minneapolis to the aggressive immigration policies of Trump.
On January 7, particularly strong and disturbing videos also showed the fatal shooting of Renee Good, the same age, who was shot multiple times at close range in the head by a member of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Over the past year, Republican lawmakers in Congress have shown strong unity in their support of Trump's immigration crackdown and considered the deployment of federal agents to cities governed by Democrats across the country a necessary step.
According to the perception of the Republicans, a tough stance was necessary for American citizens against violent criminals living illegally in this northern country.
However, criticism is beginning to spread, and opinions question that this is no longer just an issue of undocumented immigrants, as American citizens are now being affected.
In the House of Representatives, controlled by the Republicans, Michael McCaul (Texas), former head of the Homeland Security Committee, said he was “concerned” about the murder of Pretti.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Oversight Committee, James Comer (Kentucky), even went so far as to suggest that Trump should withdraw ICE personnel from the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and Saint Paul), which together form one of the largest metropolitan areas in the state, amid the unrest.
The chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Andrew Garbarino (New York), quickly called on officials from the various federal agencies involved in immigration enforcement operations to testify before the panel following the fatal outcome.
“The Congress has the important responsibility to ensure the safety of law enforcement forces and the people they serve and protect,” Garbarino said in a statement.
In the Senate, Republican John Curtis (Utah) criticized the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, the day before for her “premature” response to the shooting, which, according to him, “weakened confidence.”
Meanwhile, Rand Paul (Kentucky), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, also called on the heads of ICE, the Border Patrol, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to testify before that committee on the upcoming February 12.
For Trump, perhaps it is time to recalibrate his stance. On his social network Truth Social, he said he spoke with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, to whom he has dedicated quite a few insults lately. He also announced that he decided to move his border czar Tom Homan into the field.
For now, Greg Bovino, the controversial Border Patrol commander, and an as-yet undetermined number of federal agents could leave Minneapolis this Tuesday, amid the growing controversy and public discontent over immigration operations and the use of lethal force.
The message of the massive protests in Minnesota has been clear: Get ICE out!
