President Trump’s administration is facing serious pushback from within his own party after a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. A growing number of Republicans are now demanding a full and transparent investigation into the federal immigration tactics that were used.
This incident has created major tension within the party. According to ABC News, the calls for answers are coming from top Republican leaders. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino is already asking for testimony from leaders at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. He stated that his “top priority remains keeping Americans safe.”
Many powerful senators and representatives are pushing hard for clarity. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who is currently facing a Trump-backed challenger in his reelection bid, called the shooting “incredibly disturbing” online. He demanded “a full joint federal and state investigation,” saying that the “credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake.”
This shooting has created a major Second Amendment problem for Republicans
Other key Republicans are speaking out against federal overreach. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called for an investigation and said that “ICE agents do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties.”
Senator Susan Collins of Maine, the only Republican senator up for reelection in a state Kamala Harris won in 2024, said an investigation is needed to “determine whether or not excessive force was used in a situation that may have been able to be diffused without violence.”
Even strong Trump supporter Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska called for a “prioritized, transparent investigation.” He said that while his support for funding ICE hasn’t changed, “we must also maintain our core values as a nation, including the right to protest and assemble.” These internal party divisions come as observers have raised concerns about Trump’s recent erratic behavior during public appearances.
This situation is forcing the GOP to face some very awkward positions, especially about gun ownership. Pretti, the 37-year-old intensive care nurse who was killed, had a permit to carry a gun, which the Minneapolis police chief confirmed. However, no bystander videos show him holding a weapon during the incident. This is a huge issue for a party that sees the Second Amendment as essential.
Administration officials have quickly questioned why Pretti was armed at all. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, talking about his own protest experience, said, “I didn’t bring a gun. I brought a billboard.” These comments are a major shift from typical Republican messaging, especially since the party previously supported figures like Kyle Rittenhouse, who used a firearm during a 2020 protest and was later acquitted on self-defense grounds.
Gun rights supporters quickly pushed back against the administration’s suggestion that carrying a firearm at a protest is dangerous or illegal. The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus clearly stated that “Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms, including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights.”
The group stressed that these rights “do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed.” Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, was even more direct, saying that “carrying a firearm is not a death sentence.”
He added that if federal officials don’t understand that it’s a “Constitutionally protected God-given right,” they have “no business in law enforcement or government.” The administration’s aggressive approach has already damaged relationships abroad, including how Greenland threats undermined Europe’s trade agreement.
Published: Jan 26, 2026 02:15 pm