Tom Homan says 700 immigration enforcement agents will leave Minnesota
President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan announced on February 4 that he would cut 700 federal immigration enforcement agents from Minnesota.
Vice President J.D. Vance has not apologized for repeating his claim that Alex Preti was an “assassin” after an intensive care nurse was shot and killed during a confrontation with immigration authorities in Minneapolis last month.
Vance reposted White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s social media post shortly after Preti’s death on January 24th. In response to comments from Sen. Chris Murphy, Miller wrote, “An assassin tried to kill a federal employee. This is your response.”
In an interview with the Daily Mail on February 3, the vice president did not recant his assertion that Mr. Preti posed a serious threat to law enforcement.
“What are you apologizing for?” Vance said when asked if he would apologize to Preeti’s family. When an email interviewer pointed out that Mr. Vance had labeled Mr. Preti a “malicious assassin,” the vice president responded, “He’s a man who showed up to an ICE protest with malicious intent.”
Vance’s office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
The vice president’s refusal to apologize came after President Donald Trump criticized Preti in recent social media posts, even though the president said he wanted to “de-escalate” the tense situation in Minnesota. White House officials were quick to portray Preti after the shooting as someone who sought to harm law enforcement.
Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” and the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that he appeared ready to “do maximum damage.” Miller later walked back the Department of Homeland Security’s earlier comments about Preti, referring to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and saying the determination that Preti, 37, intended to kill immigration officials was “based on reports from local CBP.”
Lawmakers, including Democrats and Republicans, have expressed deep concern about this statement.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said the allegations about Mr. Preti were untrue and that officials “need to admit they were wrong to make such flippant statements because they caused further confusion.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called Trump officials’ comments about Preti “absolutely shameless.”
Then, as the uproar surrounding the shootings grew, the White House reversed course and adopted a more conciliatory approach. On February 4, the president withdrew 700 immigration officials from the state, saying the unrest in Minneapolis convinced him that a “softer approach” to immigration was needed.
Vance: “I don’t think it’s wise to prejudge the investigation.”
President Trump distanced himself from the words Miller and others used about Preti in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. But after a video of a previous incident surfaced showing Preti confronting federal agents, he slammed Preti, calling him a “provocateur and possibly an insurrectionist.”
Video taken by a witness on Jan. 24 did not show Mr. Preti brandishing a gun and approaching federal agents. In the video, Preeti can be seen holding a mobile phone in one hand and her other hand empty during an immigration crackdown that drew protesters.
The Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into Preti’s murder. Asked if he would apologize if the investigation found that Preti’s civil rights were violated, Vance declined to answer, saying he would like to proceed with the investigation.
“If something turns out that the guy who shot Alex Preti did something wrong, there will be a lot of repercussions from that,” Vance told the Mail. “We’re going to allow that. But then again. I don’t think it’s wise to prejudge an investigation. I don’t think it’s fair to the ICE officers.”
Contributor: Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY
