MINNEAPOLIS — A 37-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday morning in Minneapolis — the second shooting of a U.S. citizen this month by federal agents in the city.
The shooting of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, ratcheted up tensions, as protesters clashed in the streets with law enforcement in the aftermath of the shooting.
The incident followed the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, on Jan. 7.
President Trump spoke in Des Moines, Iowa, early Tuesday evening after he defended Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from criticism of her handling of the weekend killing of a Minneapolis man by a Border Patrol (CBP) agent.
The shooting ignited a firestorm on both sides of the aisle, with Democrats calling for Noem to be fired or impeached, and Republican lawmakers expressing grave concern and calling for hearings.
Trump on Tuesday, when asked if Noem will step down, told reporters, “No.”
“I think she’s doing a very good job. The border is totally secure. You know, you forget we had a border that I inherited where millions of people were coming through. Now we have a border where no one is coming through. They come into our country only legally,” Trump added.
The Senate, meanwhile, is back in Washington on Tuesday as a partial government shutdown looms. But Democrats are eyeing funding for Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has indicated he intends to move forward with a six-bill funding package, which includes DHS, despite Democrats’ threats to block the measure. Thune must confront whether he can rally his conference and the White House around a modified bill that separates DHS funding from the package to avoid another shutdown.
It also comes as Trump is making adjustments to his signature initiatives in the wake of Alex Pretti’s death on Saturday. Border czar Tom Homan will arrive Tuesday in Minneapolis, replacing Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino.
Earlier Tuesday, a federal judge also demanded that acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Todd Lyons make an appearance in court later this week, threatening the law enforcement officer with contempt proceedings.
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