Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino defends Minnesota mass shooting
U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino defended the shooting death of a 37-year-old civilian by federal agents in Minneapolis.
A growing number of Republicans are speaking out about the shooting in Minneapolis, with conflicting explanations from administration officials raising concerns across party lines.
More than 24 hours after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed 37-year-old nurse Alex Preti, several Republican lawmakers are calling for a full investigation or suggesting that federal immigration agents be removed from the Twin Cities altogether.
“The events in Minneapolis are deeply disturbing,” Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said in a statement on social media on January 24. “The credibility of ICE and DHS is at stake.”
North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis joined Cassidy in calling for an investigation into the incident that roiled Minneapolis and turned the city into an epicenter of unrest and anger over President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts. Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have been stationed in the Twin Cities area for several months as part of the administration’s operations.
Preti is the third person to be shot and killed by federal agents this month, and the second after 37-year-old mother of three Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by ICE agents.
As with Goode’s shooting, government officials, including the president, have called both victims domestic terrorists, and multiple eyewitness and video reports of the shooting appear to contradict statements from the Department of Homeland Security.
Federal officials said Preti had a gun that he intended to use to “kill law enforcement.” Video from bystanders and witnesses submitted to the court does not show Preeti brandishing a weapon as she approaches the agents.
Republicans demand an investigation, some officials suggest pulling out of the Twin Cities
In response to the shooting, New York Republican Congressman Andrew Garbarino formally requested the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to testify before a full hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee.
Some in Trump’s party are calling for a thorough investigation into the shooting, while others say the president’s immigration enforcement options should be suspended.
Vermont’s Republican governor, Phil Scott, called on the president to halt immigration operations and de-escalate tensions, and Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) said Trump should consider sending federal agents to other cities willing to cooperate with his administration.
“If I were President Trump, I would consider if the mayor and the governor were going to put ICE agents at risk and there was a possibility that more innocent lives or something could be lost, then I would go to another city and let the people of Minneapolis make that decision,” Comer said in an interview with FOX Business on Jan. 25.
Comer suggested that Minnesotans would revolt against state and local leaders if federal workers were to leave, despite weeks of protests demanding their departure and voices of outrage over the killings of Goode and Preti. Comer expressed support for immigration enforcement, but said the situation in Minneapolis is bad and “only going to get worse.”
Sen. Angus King, an independent representing Maine, suggested in a Jan. 25 interview with CBS that he may work with Democrats to block a bipartisan spending package for funding the Department of Homeland Security. Congress has a weekend deadline to pass a spending bill and avert a partial shutdown.
“It’s not American to intimidate protesters by arming them with masks and telling them they can’t take pictures of what they’re doing,” King said. “These people are acting outside the Constitution. They are ignoring our laws, and we cannot continue to support them.”
Republican criticism grows over official’s comments about Preti’s guns
In the hours and days after Preti’s death, Homeland Security officials said federal agents may have been justified in killing Preti because he was armed and intended to “kill law enforcement.” Top Border Patrol and Homeland Security officials have yet to provide evidence to support this statement.
Local authorities said Preti had a gun permit and was seen in video footage holding a cell phone rather than a weapon.
Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massey took to social media to register his displeasure with the language, reacting to a post by U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli that appeared to refer to Preti’s death and his gun.
“Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence. It is a God-given right protected by the Constitution and if you don’t understand this, you are no good to law enforcement and government,” Massey wrote on social media.
Contributor: Christopher Kang
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
