‘It needs to end.’ Some Republicans break from Trump on immigration surge after Minneapolis shooting

As Minneapolis reels from the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, some Republicans are starting to distance themselves from the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

Several local and national Republicans have called for more oversight over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), while others are pushing back over gun rights. At least one state legislator said Operation Metro Surge must end.

“It’s clear that Operation Metro Surge is causing more harm than good,“ Rep. Nolan West, a Republican from Blaine, said in a social media post on Sunday, Jan. 25. “It puts law enforcement officers’ lives at risk, and it feeds the chaos destroying our state.”

The divergence is notable as DHS officials stick by their operation and tactics in the face of intense scrutiny. But recent polling shows support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics is dropping. CNN reported last week that before Pretti was killed, President Donald Trump expressed frustration privately that his immigration message is getting lost.

The group of Republicans who are publicly criticizing the administration is small. But at least in Minnesota, several of the legislators speaking out represent metro-area districts that could be swing seats in November’s midterm elections. It’s a sign that some in the GOP may view the current crackdown as a political problem.

“I’m calling on all sides to de-escalate,” state Sen. Julia Coleman, R-Waconia, said in a post on X. “Pause targeted operations, honor ICE detainers for criminals, negotiate and prioritize peace.”

In an interview, West said that minutes before Pretti was shot, his wife was picking up a cake for their child’s first birthday from a baker on the block where he was shot. She left the scene before protesters arrived, but he said it brought the situation in Minneapolis closer to home.

“It needs to end. That is the only thing that will keep more people, ICE agents and otherwise, everyone involved, from being harmed,” West said.

Last week, federal immigration officials started holding daily news conferences in Minneapolis in an effort to elevate their narrative of Metro Surge. They accused critics of “irresponsible rhetoric” and highlighted arrests of violent offenders.

“The public needs to know about the dangerous criminal illegal aliens we’re arresting; they need to see the faces of the monsters these agitators are trying to protect,” said Marcos Charles, assistant director of enforcement and removal operations for ICE.

In a Jan. 12-17 national poll by the New York Times, 61% of respondents said they believe ICE tactics have gone too far, including 71% of independents and 19% of Republicans.

Only 26% said the tactics were about right, and 11% said they had not gone far enough.

While ICE’s tactics may lack broad support, Trump’s immigration efforts may be otherwise popular.

The same New York Times poll found 50% of voters support the administration deporting unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S., compared with 47% who oppose.

West said that poll result reflects how many in his district feel.

“The biggest thing is, I am all for deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, 100%,” West said. “But not carte blanche with no exceptions; that’s how you end up leaving a 5-year-old as an orphan, basically.

“The bulk of my district who are supportive of deportation and fixing our immigration system aren’t supportive of it without any nuance, without any exceptions.”

And in the Senate, Republican Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said on X: “The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing. The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth.”

GOP Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the former chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he was “troubled” by the shooting. “A thorough investigation is necessary — both to get to the bottom of these incidents and to maintain Americans’ confidence in our justice system,” he said.

In Minnesota, the state’s four congressional Republicans and some GOP candidates for the Senate refrained from criticizing Pretti, but they also blamed the violence on Democratic officials.

Rep. Tom Emmer, Minnesota’s highest-ranking Republican, said he would let law enforcement conduct its investigation and not jump to conclusions on what happened.

But he said: “The governor and local leaders’ rhetoric has empowered criminals and put federal law enforcement’s lives at risk. It’s dangerous and has made the situation in Minneapolis much worse.”

State House Speaker Lisa Demuth of Cold Spring said in a statement that she was heartbroken at “another tragic loss of life” and praised peaceful demonstrators in downtown Minneapolis over the weekend.

Demuth also said some political leaders are “urging direct confrontation” with law enforcement, putting lives at risk.

West said part of the split-screen response from Republicans and Democrats is due to geography that divides them from a shared experience. Democrats “feel this incredibly deeply because it’s literally in their neighborhood,” he said. There are few in the GOP who live nearby. Many are hours away.

West said he fears that ending Metro Surge would give demonstrators a playbook to stop ICE operations elsewhere. Yet, he said he still believes the operation must end.