A growing number of Republicans are pressing for a deeper investigation into federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis, a sign that the accounting of events by President Donald Trump’s administration may face bipartisan scrutiny.
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Federal agents stand near the site of a shooting Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) |
Growing Republican calls for deeper probe into fatal Minneapolis shooting |
Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at a VA hospital, has raised uncomfortable questions about the GOP’s core positions on issues ranging from gun ownership to states’ rights and trust in the federal government. It also comes at a sensitive moment for the GOP as the party prepares for a challenging midterm election year.
Among those pushing for information are Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, sought testimony from leaders at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on CNN’s “State of the Union” called the shooting a “real tragedy” and said Trump needs to tell Americans what the “end game” is. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., suggested the administration focus its immigration efforts elsewhere.
Trump has enjoyed nearly complete loyalty from fellow Republicans during his first year back in the White House. But the positions staked out in the wake of the shooting signal that the administration will face at least some pushback within the party in its swift effort to define Pretti, who protested Trump’s immigration crackdown, as a violent demonstrator. Read more.
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Of note:
Administration officials remained firm in their defense of the hard-line immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis, blaming Democrats in the state along with local law enforcement for not working with them. Trump made no public appearances Sunday, though issued a number of social media posts on topics including the White House ballroom he is constructing and further criticism of Canada. |
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Democrats vow to oppose homeland security money, increasing shutdown chance |
Democratic senators are vowing to oppose a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security following Pretti’s death, a stand that increases the prospect of a partial government shutdown by the end of the week.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, in a social media post Saturday night, hours after the shooting, said that what is happening in Minnesota is “appalling” and that Democrats “will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.”
Six of the 12 annual spending bills for the current budget year have been signed into law by Trump. Six more are awaiting Senate action, but if senators fail to act by midnight Friday, funding for agencies covered under those six bills will lapse. Much of the government, including the Department of Defense, continues to operate on a short-term bill that provides funding only through Friday. Read more.
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Of note:
The path ahead is uncertain. The Senate is not scheduled to return to session until Tuesday, due to the snowstorm. The House plans to be out of session this week and would have to pass the funding package again if it is changed. |
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European leaders learn to say 'no' to Trump |
European leaders who scrambled for a year to figure out how to deal with an emboldened American president in his second term edged closer to saying “no,” or something diplomatically like it, to his disregard for international law and his demands for their territory. Trump's vow to take over Greenland and punish any country that resists, seems to have been the crucible.
"Red lines" were deemed to have been crossed this year when Trump abruptly revived his demand that the United States “absolutely” must rule Greenland, the semiautonomous region that is part of NATO ally Denmark. That pushed even the most mild-mannered diplomats to issue sharp warnings against Trump, whom they had flattered royal treatment and fawning praise.
“Britain will not yield" its support for Greenland's sovereignty, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. Several of the continent's leaders said “Europe will not be blackmailed” over Greenland, and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said “Threats have no place among allies.” Read more.
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Of note:
The dramatic turnabout among Europe's elite, from “appeasing” Trump to defying him, offers clues in the ongoing effort among some nations of how to say “no” to a president who hates hearing it and is known to retaliate. |
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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One after leaving the World Economic Forum in Davos for Washington, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) |
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