Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Feb. 2 that all border enforcement agents in Minnesota would immediately be issued body cameras for added transparency. The move comes as part of a broad recalibration in the Trump administration and among Republican leaders in the wake of two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by border enforcement agents in Minneapolis.

After a federal immigration agent fatally shot Alex Pretti on Jan. 24 in Minneapolis, the Trump administration’s initial response centered on vigorously defending federal agents and portraying Pretti as the aggressor, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying he “committed an act of domestic terrorism” and other officials, including White House adviser Stephen Miller, calling Pretti a “would-be assassin.” 

Most recently, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said in a Feb. 1 60 Minutes interview that he plans to hold a congressional hearing after reviewing video of Alex Pretti's killing.

“I saw a man that was retreating,” Paul said. “He went to the middle of the street. He didn’t even obstruct traffic, he let a car go through. As the agents advanced on him, he retreated to the side of the street. A woman is violently pushed to the ground, and he turns to help her. That is when he is grabbed from behind.” 

“I saw no evidence of him assaulting the police,” he said. 

Two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, were the first GOP members of Congress to publicly call for Noem to resign. They criticized her for prematurely labeling Pretti a domestic terrorist. Tillis said rushing to judgment was a “disservice to the nation.” 

Additional Republican senators, including Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Todd Young of Indiana, and Ted Cruz of Texas, have demanded thorough investigations into the Minneapolis shootings.

Cassidy deemed the events “incredibly disturbing,” warning that the credibility of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hangs in the balance. 

In a statement, Collins insisted the "tragic shooting" warrants a transparent investigation to assess potential excessive force and de-escalation options. 

Young backed a full, open inquiry, urging swift congressional testimony from ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services leaders, and Cruz called for scrutiny of any deadly law enforcement clash, advising the administration to temper its rhetoric while the facts are reviewed.

Other Republicans have taken varied approaches to calling for accountability. U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, from Kentucky’s 4th congressional district, framed the shooting in constitutional terms, pushing back against suggestions that Pretti’s possession of a firearm justified lethal force. 

“Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence,” he wrote on X. 

House Homeland Security Committee Chair Andrew Garbarino, a New York Republican, is the lawmaker who formally requested testimony from senior leaders at ICE, CBP, and USCIS, setting a Feb. 10 oversight hearing aimed at examining how the agencies use their resources. 

Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, another Republican U.S. representative from Kentucky, suggested a strategic recalibration rather than a full halt to enforcement while speaking on FOX News. Comer said the administration should consider shifting operations elsewhere if local conditions in Minneapolis continue to put agents and civilians at risk, arguing that prolonged confrontation could lead to further loss of life.

Republican governors have echoed these calls, with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt describing Pretti’s death as a “real tragedy” and questioned the broader strategy behind large-scale operations, asking what the ultimate “endgame" should be. Stitt later joined other governors in a joint statement calling for a “reset” toward a more unified and measured approach to immigration enforcement.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott likewise said the White House should “recalibrate” its operations to avoid community conflict, while placing blame on Minnesota’s Democratic leaders for inflaming tensions. 

David Holt, the Republican mayor of Oklahoma City and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, led a joint statement from the conference condemning the Minneapolis shootings.

“Deadly confrontations like these erode public trust in law enforcement at every level, putting our own local police officers across the nation at added risk,” Holt wrote in the joint statement. 

President Donald Trump has voiced continued confidence in Noem but has shifted operational control of the Minneapolis response by sending Border Czar Tom Homan to lead efforts on the ground. Homan, a longtime immigration enforcement veteran who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, has stressed cooperation with local officials and a shift to more targeted operations. 

“I don’t want to see anybody die — not officers, not members of the community, and not the targets of our operations,” Homan said.

>> Border Czar Tom Homan promises changes in Minneapolis: operations have ‘not been perfect’ << 

DHS is preparing to answer congressional oversight over the Minneapolis shootings in back-to-back hearings this month, starting Feb. 10 in the House and Feb. 12 in the Senate. The House panel led by Garbarino will question ICE, CBP, and USCIS leaders, and a Senate hearing under Sen. Paul will focus on enforcement tactics and trust issues.