After the death of Alex Pretty, criticism of ICE's brutal approach is growing. Meanwhile, a number of Republicans are demanding an investigation, and former US presidents are issuing sharp criticism and calling for protests.
After the fatal shooting of American citizen Alex Pretty by ICE immigration officers, calls for a comprehensive investigation are growing stronger – Meanwhile, from the Republican side.
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Republican Andrew Garbarino, demanded that the leaders of the immigration service ICE, the border service CBP and the central alien service USCIS provide explanations. "My top priority remains to protect Americans", Garbarino said.
Trump supporters also demand clarification of the case
The deadly shootings in Minneapolis are "extremely disturbing", wrote on social networks Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana. The credibility of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security is at stake, he also wrote.
Another Republican senator, Tom Tillis, also demanded a "thorough and impartial" investigation and criticized the federal government's response to the case. Even Senator Pete Ricketts, a staunch supporter of US President Donald Trump, has called for a transparent investigation. "My support for funding ICE remains unchanged. But we must also maintain our core values as a nation", the Nebraska Republican stressed.
What happened in Minneapolis?
During protests against ICE's harsh actions in Minneapolis, 37-year-old Pretty was shot and killed on Saturday by a US Border Patrol (USBP) officer. The Border Patrol is the police service of the Border Protection Agency (CBP), which in turn is subordinate to the Department of Homeland Security. Pretty worked as a medical officer in the intensive care unit of a veterans hospital.
The Department of Homeland Security reported that Pretty approached the officer with a weapon and offered "violent resistance". Local authorities and the family of the 37-year-old American deny this version. Eyewitness videos show Pretty holding a cell phone in his hand. No weapon is visible in any of the recordings. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said that Pretty was a legal gun owner with a permit to carry a weapon.
Criticism from former US presidents
Prominent Democrats also expressed criticism and sympathy for the death of Alex Pretty. Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama said in a joint statement that every American should support the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country - and draw inspiration from them.
Former President Bill Clinton also called on the population to raise their voices against the deportation practice undertaken by the Trump administration. "If we give up our freedoms after 250 years, we may never get them back," reads part of his statement.
Clinton, who was president from 1993 to 2001, issued a sharp rebuke to the authorities: "Those responsible lied to us and told us not to believe what we saw with our own eyes."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also called for peaceful demonstrations.
Trump announces review
US President Trump responded to the criticism with sharp accusations against Democrats. He called on them to "officially cooperate" of his government in the fight against illegal immigration, instead of "fanning the flames of division, chaos and violence".
Nevertheless, Donald Trump announced to the "Wall Street Journal" that an investigation would be conducted into the case. He also hinted at the possible withdrawal of ICE officers from Minneapolis. "We will leave at some point," the newspaper quoted him as saying. However, Trump did not specify a specific date for this.
Second death in three weeks
The ICE and Border Patrol operations, carried out mainly in cities governed by Democrats, are part of Donald Trump's plan for the largest mass deportation in US history.
In Minnesota, Alex Pretty was the second death in less than three weeks. On January 7, 2026, ICE officers shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Goode. Thousands of people took to the streets of Minneapolis and hundreds of stores went on strike.