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- Trump’s border advisor meets with Minnesota’s governor and Minneapolis officials.
- Trump concedes that a government official’s presence may have contributed to rising tensions.
- Calls for a fair and truthful investigation into recent killings.
MINNEAPOLIS: President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he intends to ease tensions in Minneapolis following the recent fatal shootings of two civilians, which sparked widespread criticism of his immigration policies. Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan held discussions with local officials as part of his efforts to manage the fallout after immigration agents accidentally shot and killed 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday.
The president also acknowledged that Gregory Bovino, a strict Border Patrol commander who is now expected to leave Minneapolis, is “a rather outspoken type,” and his involvement might have exacerbated the situation.
“We’re planning to reduce some of the tensions,” Trump told Fox News, clarifying that this was not a retreat from previous positions but an attempt to de-escalate. He mentioned that Homan, a top official in U.S. border security known for a more restrained communication style, met with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Tuesday.
Trump rejected the label “assassin,” used by a top aide to describe protester Alex Pretti. “I want a very honorable and honest investigation,” he stated. However, he did criticize Pretti for carrying a licensed firearm that was confiscated before he was shot.
“I don’t like that he had a gun, and I don’t like that he had two fully loaded magazines,” the president said.
Mayor Frey, after his meeting with Homan, stated that he discussed “the serious negative impacts” of federal operations on Minneapolis, reaffirming that the city “will not enforce federal immigration laws.” Former Democratic Vice President Walz called for “impartial investigations” into federal shootings and recommended a significant reduction in federal presence in the state.
Pretti’s death has ignited national outrage. Former President Joe Biden called the situation “a betrayal of core American values,” with other ex-presidents like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also voicing concern.
This incident marks the second time this month that a U.S. citizen has been killed by immigration officers in Minneapolis, a city now at the center of nationwide debate over Trump’s mass deportation efforts. The first victim, protester Renee Good, was shot at point-blank range during a traffic stop on January 7.
These fatalities have come amid months of increasing violence and aggressive enforcement by unidentified, heavily armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and Border Patrol officers, who have been detaining suspected immigration law violators on the streets. Despite multiple videos indicating Pretti posed no danger, officials initially claimed he was threatening federal agents.
Trump defended Homeland Security head Kristi Noem, who called Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” asserting she’s performing well and will not resign. Conversely, he expressed reservations about Bovino, a Border Patrol official known for aggressive tactics and who had emphasized the threat Pretti allegedly posed.
“Bovino’s a very good officer, but he can be a bit out there. Maybe that approach didn’t work in this case,” Trump remarked on Fox.
Concern over the violence and the false narrative blaming Pretti for his own death quickly reached Washington. Senator Rand Paul proposed that the agents involved should be placed on administrative leave and announced that leaders from ICE, Border Patrol, and Citizenship and Immigration Services would appear before Congress next month. Democratic Senator John Fetterman criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s handling of the situation, calling for her dismissal.
The turmoil threatens to trigger a new government shutdown, as Democrats threaten to block the passage of routine spending bills scheduled for Senate votes later this week.
In Minneapolis, a 68-year-old retiree, Stephen McLaughlin, voiced that the community is “sickened by all of this,” expressing fears that government actions aim to terrorize citizens—an occurrence that he finds deeply unsettling.
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