Lawmakers escalate calls for investigations after Minneapolis shooting

A growing chorus of lawmakers from across the political spectrum is calling for investigations into the Jan. 24 fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol in Minneapolis.

As Zeale News reported Jan. 26, Pretti’s death triggered renewed protests and bipartisan demands for oversight, including from several Republican lawmakers who have questioned both the circumstances of the shooting and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) response to the incident. 

DHS officials have described the shooting as a defensive and justified use of force, alleging that Pretti — a concealed-carry permit holder — approached officers with a firearm and resisted efforts to disarm him. However, numerous outlets have reported that a federal agent disarmed Pretti moments before another agent shot him, raising questions about whether Pretti posed an imminent threat.

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, called for the agents involved in the shooting to be placed on administrative leave pending an independent investigation. 

“Local police routinely, put officers involved in deadly shootings on administrative leave until an independent investigation is concluded. That should happen immediately,” he wrote on X Jan. 27. “I can’t recall ever hearing a police chief immediately describing the victim as a ‘domestic terrorist’ or a ‘would-be assassin.’”  

Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller characterized Pretti as both a “would-be-assassin” and a “domestic terrorist,” echoing similar descriptions previously used by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, Zeale News reported Jan. 26.

Paul has also requested testimony from senior leaders at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as part of a full committee oversight hearing. All three agencies are scheduled to testify Feb. 12.

The DHS response has also ignited a broader debate over gun rights among conservatives. The Hill reported that gun-rights advocates pushed back against DHS statements suggesting Pretti’s lawful possession of a handgun contributed to the shooting.

In a Jan. 24 statement, the National Rifle Association (NRA) criticized comments from Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, who said on X, “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.”

The NRA said in response, “Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.”

The Gun Owners of America (GOA) added, “The Second Amendment protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting — a right the federal government must not infringe upon.”

Responding to the GOA, Essayli said on X that his comment was not intended to justify shooting lawful concealed carry holders and accused critics of mischaracterizing it.

“My advice stands: If you value your life, do not aggressively approach law enforcement while armed. If they reasonably perceive a threat and you fail to immediately disarm, they are legally permitted to use deadly force,” he wrote.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration’s stance during a Jan. 26 briefing, saying the White House supports Second Amendment rights but warning that carrying a gun when confronted by law enforcement raises the “risk of force being used against you.”

Several Republicans are also calling for a full federal and state investigation into the shooting, including 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.

On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump also called for a “very honorable and honest investigation” into the shooting, saying, “I want to see it myself.” 

According to AP News, the investigation is being led by DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit, with a parallel internal review by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility. The FBI is assisting with limited forensic evidence analysis, and Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is conducting an independent state-level probe. 

Democrats have gone further than Republicans, with senior leaders calling for Noem’s removal. In a joint statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Democratic caucus chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told Trump to fire Noem or Democrats “will commence impeachment proceedings.” 

According to Axios, more than two-thirds of the Democratic caucus is co-sponsoring articles of impeachment.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, have united to block a key appropriations bill that includes DHS funding, vowing to withhold the 60 votes needed to advance it. In a Jan. 27 X post, Schumer said that Democrats “will NOT pass the DHS budget until it is rewritten,” citing the need for accountability and reforms to ICE operations.