Protests continue in and around Minneapolis after the latest deadly shooting by federal officers there. President Trump and Governor Walz are talking about the situation, and the nation’s border czar is making his way to Minnesota due to the growing criticism over immigration enforcement tactics.
President Trump is shaking up the leadership of immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti. At least 29 Republican members of Congress are now demanding a full investigation. The Department of Homeland Security is now reviewing body camera video showing multiple angles of the shooting.
Trump is also sending in his Border Czar, Tom Homan, who he says will “report directly to me,” and Gregory Bovino, the top border patrol agent in charge, reportedly is leaving as soon as today.
“Mr. Homan is the point person for cooperating with state and local authorities and corresponding with them, again to achieve this level of cooperation, to subdue the chaos on the streets of Minneapolis,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
PHOTO: Protesters push an a burning dumpster toward law enforcement near the site of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Ellen Schmidt/MinnPost via AP)
The president is facing growing scrutiny within his own party over the administration’s handling of the immigration crackdown and response to two fatal shootings.
“Immediately when an incident like this happens, they come out guns blazing that we took out a violent terrorist, hooray. Escalating the rhetoric doesn’t help, and it actually loses credibility,” said Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott says the White House needs to “recalibrate” immigration enforcement tactics, “to make sure they are going to remove these people, but without causing all the kinds of problems and fighting in communities they are experiencing right now.”
The White House on Monday distanced itself from comments Saturday by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who accused Pretti of domestic terrorism.
But Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also pointed the finger at Minnesota’s Democratic leaders. “This tragedy occurred as a result of deliberate and hostile resistance from Democratic leaders in Minnesota for weeks,” Leavitt said.
Also, on Monday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called President Trump to discuss how they can work together to quell the weeks-long unrest.
The president posted on social media that he and Walz seemed to be on “a similar wavelength.”
The situation could have national implications. Democrats are vowing to oppose a federal spending package that includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which could result in a partial government shutdown at the end of the week.
