DHS faces mounting scrutiny over Minnesota shooting

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is facing growing scrutiny over its handling of the fatal Jan. 24 shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis. The episode has prompted competing narratives online, reported internal frustration among federal personnel, and Congressional calls for accountability and oversight.

Trump suggests distance from DHS messaging 

In a Jan. 25 interview with The Wall Street Journal, President Donald Trump declined — even after being asked twice — to directly say whether he believed the agent acted appropriately.

“We’re looking — we’re reviewing everything — and will come out with a determination,” Trump told the Journal when pressed.

Trump said he opposed the shooting and also criticized Pretti’s actions, saying Pretti had a “very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets,” which “doesn’t play good either.” The President also said the 9 mm pistol was a “dangerous and unpredictable gun.” 

Significantly, Trump suggested he may pull federal agents out of Minnesota. He didn’t provide a specific timeline, however.

The President’s remarks marked a notable departure from the more forceful defense offered by DHS officials and other leadership, who have repeatedly described the shooting as justified self-defense. As CatholicVote reported, DHS said that Pretti, a U.S. citizen and intensive care unit nurse and concealed-carry permit holder, approached officers with a firearm and then resisted their efforts to disarm him. 

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said shortly after the shooting that Pretti appeared poised “to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.” Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller issued social media posts characterizing Pretti as an “assassin” and “domestic terrorist” who had attacked federal officers. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino similarly suggested Pretti had intended to perform a “massacre.”

Meanwhile, video footage circulating online has raised questions about whether Pretti posed an imminent threat at the time of the shooting. As FOX News reported, a federal agent had disarmed Pretti moments before another agent shot him.

Asked whether Trump agrees that Pretti should be labeled a “domestic terrorist,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a Jan. 26 press briefing that she “has not heard the President characterize Mr. Pretti in that way.” 

On Jan. 26, Trump announced he was sending Border Czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to oversee federal immigration operations in the aftermath of the incident. Trump said Homan would report directly to him, bypassing the usual chain of command that includes Noem and Border Patrol leadership.

Reported internal unrest inside enforcement agencies 

Tensions have also reportedly surfaced within federal immigration enforcement agencies. FOX News correspondent Bill Melugin reported Jan. 26 that multiple sources inside those agencies are “increasingly uneasy & frustrated” with DHS leadership. 

According to Melugin, sources expressed “extreme frustration” with DHS officials publicly claiming Pretti intended to carry out a “massacre” or inflict “maximum damage,” despite video footage that “appeared to show those claims were inaccurate.”

“While they say it was a terrible decision to show up with a gun and inject himself into a federal law enforcement operation,” Melugin wrote, “there is no indication Pretti was there to murder law enforcement, as videos appear to show he never drew his holstered firearm.”

Several sources described DHS’s public messaging as “catastrophic from a PR and morale perspective,” with one calling it “a case study on how not to do crisis PR,” Melugin reported. Another official told him, “[W]e are losing this war, we are losing the base and the narrative.”

Melugin reported that some officials told him they believe the shooting could ultimately be deemed a “‘bad shoot,’” describing a chaotic situation in which agents may have heard a warning about a gun, perceived a threat, and fired.

“All of the sources support the mass deportation agenda, but have serious hesitations about the way it is being carried out and the messaging that comes with it,” Melugin said, adding that several also expressed frustration that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is frequently blamed for actions taken by Border Patrol, a separate agency.

In a statement provided to FOX News, DHS defended its actions and rhetoric. 

“This individual committed a federal crime while armed as he obstructed an active law enforcement operation. As with any situation that is evolving, we work to give swift, accurate information to the American people as more information becomes available,” the DHS said, according to Melugin.

Republican lawmakers push for investigation and oversight hearings

Pressure is also mounting on Capitol Hill, where some Republican lawmakers are calling for a deeper investigation into both the shooting and the department’s response. 

According to Axios, Republicans backing a full review include Sens. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, Jon Husted of Ohio, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, along with Reps. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, Michael Baumgartner of Washington, Max Miller of Ohio, and Michael McCaul of Texas.

House Republicans have signaled plans to summon Noem and other DHS officials for testimony as early as next week. Andrew Garbarino, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, formally requested testimony from senior leaders at ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as part of a full committee oversight hearing.

In the Senate, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, has also called on the heads of ICE, CBP, and USCIS to testify before his committee by Feb. 12. 

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are threatening to allow a partial government shutdown unless a DHS funding bill is revised to include language curbing the agency’s authority, according to Axios, adding another layer of political pressure as investigations into the shooting continue.