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Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has broken ranks with his party by calling for a thorough investigation into the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis man by a Border Patrol agent, describing the incident as “incredibly disturbing.”
The 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, Alex J. Pretti, was killed on Saturday during what the Department of Homeland Security described as a “targeted operation” against an undocumented immigrant with a violent criminal history. According to DHS officials, Pretti approached federal officers while carrying a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
“The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing,” Cassidy wrote on social media platform X. “The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation.” The Louisiana Republican added that “we can trust the American people with the truth.”
Cassidy’s position stands in stark contrast to fellow Republicans, including President Donald Trump, who defended the federal agents involved. Trump wrote on Truth Social that agents “had to protect themselves” due to lack of support from local police, asking: “Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem provided additional details during a Saturday news conference, stating that officers attempted to disarm Pretti before the shooting. “The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently,” Noem explained. “Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots.”
Noem further noted that Pretti had “two magazines with ammunition in them that held dozens of rounds” and no identification, suggesting that “this looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”
The shooting has intensified political divisions, with Democratic lawmakers from Minnesota taking a significantly different stance. Senator Amy Klobuchar called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave the state during a news conference, placing blame on the Trump administration.
“I have personally warned them that there would be more deaths, that more of this would happen,” Klobuchar said. “And clearly they’re not listening. So, we ask people around the country to talk to their Republican representatives to make clear that this is not the America that is ours. This has got to stop.”
The White House quickly responded to Klobuchar’s comments. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X: “We need dangerous criminal illegal aliens out of Minnesota. The Democrats have their priorities completely upside down. They will not keep the American people safe.”
Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, attributing unrest in Minneapolis to “far left agitators” working with local authorities, calling the situation “engineered chaos” that is “unique to Minneapolis.”
The political context surrounding Cassidy’s break with Republican messaging is notable. The senator, who has served since 2015, was one of the few Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump after his 2021 impeachment. Recently, Trump endorsed U.S. Representative Julia Letlow to challenge Cassidy in Louisiana’s upcoming GOP primary – a move that Letlow quickly acted upon by launching her Senate bid.
DHS has stated they are investigating the shooting “just like we do all other officer-involved shootings” and promised more details would be forthcoming as the investigation progresses.
The incident underscores ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement efforts and local governance in cities with sanctuary-type policies, as well as the deeply polarized national conversation around immigration enforcement tactics under the Trump administration.
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7 Comments
It’s concerning to see the partisan divide on this issue. I agree with Senator Cassidy that the credibility of federal agencies is at stake, and the American people deserve the full truth.
This is a complex situation with many nuances. I appreciate Senator Cassidy’s call for a thorough, joint investigation to ensure all the facts come to light.
This is a sensitive and high-stakes situation. I’m glad to see bipartisan calls for a thorough investigation to uncover the truth and determine appropriate next steps.
This is a complex and sensitive issue. I’m glad to see Senator Cassidy calling for a thorough investigation to get to the truth. It’s important to let the facts come to light and not jump to conclusions.
While the politics are divisive, I hope this incident can be a catalyst for broader discussions about use of force policies and accountability measures for federal law enforcement.
While the details are still unclear, the loss of life is always tragic. I hope this investigation leads to greater accountability and improved procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The use of force by law enforcement is always a concerning matter that requires careful scrutiny. I hope the investigation is conducted transparently and impartially to determine exactly what happened.