LIVE: Power Struggle in Minnesota Turns Into a Political Wildfire

Senator John Fetterman

“Ms. Good and Mr. Pretti should still be alive. My family grieves for theirs. The operation in Minneapolis should stand down and immediately end. It has become an ungovernable and dangerous urban theatre for civilians and law enforcement that is incompatible with the American spirit. I reject the calls to defund or abolish ICE. I strongly disagree with many strategies and practices ICE deployed in Minneapolis, and believe that must change. I want a conversation on the DHS appropriations bill and support stripping it from the minibus.“

Auch New Orleans Also Pushes Back Against Washington

In New Orleans, Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee held a hearing on the immigration operation “Catahoula Crunch.” Hundreds of federal agents have been deployed around the city since December, officially targeting the “worst criminals.” The reality looked different. Mayor Helena Moreno stated that predominantly people with no prior criminal record were stopped, detained, and intimidated. The city experienced massive fear, triggered by raids, profiling, and practices that unsettled entire neighborhoods. Documents already reviewed showed that a large share of those detained had no criminal history. Civil rights groups called for far-reaching changes to immigration policy, some even demanding the abolition of the immigration agency itself. Repeated reference was made to Minnesota, where similar operations ended in deadly violence. Moreno made clear that this was no longer about migration or security. What is becoming visible here, she said, is a political course that divides, creates fear, and crosses every human boundary.

Washington zieht die Leine an – Senat fordert Rechenschaft von ICE und USCIS

On January 26, 2026, the chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Republican Senator Rand Paul, sent two formal letters to the leadership of key immigration agencies. Addressed to Joseph B. Edlow, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Todd M. Lyons, Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the letters follow directly after the deadly incidents in Minnesota and the escalating criticism of immigration operations there. Rand Paul makes it unmistakably clear that, given the extraordinarily high levels of funding allocated to the border and deportation apparatus, Congress must fulfill its oversight responsibility.

Specifically, the Senate is demanding that both agency heads appear before the committee to testify publicly no later than February 12, 2026. The agencies must indicate by January 28, 2026 at the latest whether they are available on that date. The focus is on the use of taxpayer funds, on operational decisions, and on the question of whether these measures truly serve to protect the public or have long since spun out of control.

White House Keeps Its Distance, Court Under Pressure, Republicans Uneasy - Minneapolis Remains a Crisis Hotspot

The White House is visibly trying to distance President Donald Trump from statements made by several administration officials who criminalized Pretti immediately after his death. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller had described the demonstrator as an attacker, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke of domestic terrorism. When asked, the White House press secretary clarified that the president himself had not used this wording. This move to create distance from Washington comes at a time when demands for a more comprehensive investigation are also growing louder within the Republican Party.

At the same time, political pressure in Washington is intensifying. Democratic senators announced they would not support a new funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. This increases the risk of a partial federal government shutdown later this week. The decisive factor for them is the death of Alex Pretti and the federal government’s handling of the incident. At the same time, the president said he had a very good conversation with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Both, he said, had signaled a willingness to work together on solutions. This marks a noticeable change in tone after Trump had previously publicly accused Walz and other Democratic politicians of obstructing enforcement operations and stirring unrest.

Meanwhile, developments continue on several levels. The aviation authority imposed nationwide no-fly zones for drones near immigration operations, including around vehicle convoys. These areas are now classified as security-sensitive airspace. Violations can carry criminal and civil penalties. It remains unclear how drone operators are supposed to identify moving restricted zones when operations are not announced. In Congress, the chair of the relevant Senate committee announced plans to subpoena senior officials from the immigration agencies. A hearing is scheduled for February 12. The aim, he said, is to review the use of taxpayer funds, scrutinize the operations, and at the same time ensure public safety. Similar initiatives are underway in the House of Representatives.

Not all Republicans have so far reviewed the video material. A lawmaker from Wisconsin publicly stated that he had not yet seen the footage and was also not familiar in detail with the drastic statements made by the administration. At the same time, he spoke in favor of a full investigation involving both federal and state authorities. The loss of human life was tragic, he said, and required a factual clarification in an already chaotic situation. Of central importance remains the decision of Federal Judge Katherine Menendez. Minnesota’s attorney general said after the hearing that the case has far-reaching significance beyond the state. It concerns the question of how far the federal government may intrude into the authority of the states. For now, only a preliminary measure will be decided, while the main proceedings continue. Regardless of the outcome, Minnesota will continue its legal fight.

Power Struggle With a Deadly Toll - Six Dead in the Shadow of the Deportation Campaign

The number of deaths linked to the current immigration offensive of the US government has risen to at least six. The most recent case occurred in Minneapolis. There, on January 24, 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a Border Patrol officer. Pretti was a US citizen. Federal authorities portrayed him immediately after the incident as an armed agitator. Video footage, however, shows that in the decisive seconds he was holding only a mobile phone when a masked officer opened fire. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz publicly condemned the federal government’s account and described the statements about Pretti as unacceptable. Pretti worked as an intensive care nurse and legally possessed a permit for a handgun in Minnesota. The footage shows an officer removing a firearm from Pretti’s waistband area and stepping back. Only then are shots fired. Pretti was already on the ground when he was fatally hit.

His death was the second fatal incident of this kind within a few weeks in Minneapolis. On January 7, 37-year-old Renee Good, also a US citizen, was shot and killed by an immigration officer. She had blocked a road with her vehicle and was slowly beginning to drive away. Videos show her turning the steering wheel away from the officers. Shortly before, she said she was not angry. The federal government defended the shooter by claiming his life had been in danger.

Already in September, another fatal operation occurred near Chicago. Thirty-eight-year-old Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, a cook from Mexico, was shot and killed during a traffic stop by immigration officers. Relatives said he had dropped off a child at childcare that morning. Authorities claimed he had attempted to flee arrest and dragged an officer with his vehicle. Later released footage from local police cameras showed that the allegedly seriously injured officer was moving freely and described his injuries himself as minor. Two further deaths occurred during attempted escapes. In California, 52-year-old Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez from Guatemala was fatally injured when he ran onto a highway after an operation near a home improvement store and was struck by an SUV. Federal authorities stated that he was not actively being pursued. In Virginia, 24-year-old gardener Josue Castro Rivera from Honduras died after running on foot onto a highway following a traffic stop and being hit by a pickup truck. His family said he had been on his way to a job and was earning money for relatives in Honduras.

Added to this is the death of 57-year-old farmworker Jaime Alanis from Mexico. On July 10, during a large-scale operation at a farm in California, he fell from the roof of a greenhouse and broke his neck. He died in the hospital two days later. Relatives reported that Alanis had hidden during the operation and had called for help by phone. Authorities said he had never been in custody and was not being pursued. In none of these six cases has an involved officer been charged so far. The growing number of deaths, however, has significant political and legal consequences. In Minnesota, the state as well as the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul filed suit to stop the immigration operations. The cases are before Federal Judge Katherine Menendez. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said after the hearing that the court’s decision would have far-reaching significance beyond the state. It is about the question of how far the federal government may intrude into the authority of the states.

Minneapolis as a Power Test - White House Pushes for Calm, Court Decides, Fronts Harden

In Washington, concern is growing that the conflict over immigration operations in Minnesota could turn into a political wildfire. The White House press secretary said the president was determined to prevent the dispute over Minneapolis from derailing the ongoing budget negotiations. The goal, she said, was to pass the bipartisan spending package still this week to avoid a government shutdown. Talks about immigration policy in Minnesota were underway, she said, and the president was leading these talks himself. They must not, however, come at the expense of funding for government functions. Allowing funds to lapse was explicitly not desired.

Meanwhile, the decision of a federal court is increasingly moving into focus. Minnesota’s attorney general made clear after the hearing how significant the case is. The question of whether the federal government’s hard-line approach would be temporarily halted affects not only his state, but the sovereignty of all states. They had requested preliminary relief, he emphasized. The case would continue regardless of the outcome of this initial decision. But what is decided in Minnesota would have consequences far beyond the state’s borders. They would not give up the fight, no matter how the court rules. The judge had previously made clear that at this stage she would not be ruling on the entire dispute. For now, the sole question was whether federal operations must be temporarily suspended while the lawsuit continues. This interim decision is now being awaited with great anticipation.

At the same time, the White House is reorganizing responsibilities. The administration’s border coordinator is to become the central point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis. This moves him more prominently into the foreground of ongoing operations. The current Border Patrol commander remains responsible nationwide for his agency, but is retreating from public view.

Journalist: Will Stephen Miller apologize to Alex Pretti’s family for calling him an attacker? Leavitt: This incident continues to be investigated.

Substantively, statements from Washington are becoming sharper. The White House press secretary said Alex Pretti’s decision to carry a weapon had increased the risk. While there is a constitutional right to bear arms, she said, there is no right to obstruct lawful immigration enforcement operations. Anyone confronting security forces while armed increases, in her view, the likelihood that violence will be used. Pretti’s family had previously stated that he did have a permit for a concealed firearm, but was not known to regularly carry it. Federal authorities claim he approached officers with a semi-automatic pistol. Whether he actually used the weapon or displayed it openly was not specified.

“No one in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people in the streets of America injured or killed. That includes Renee Good, Alex Pretti, and the brave men and women of federal law enforcement. This tragedy was the result of a deliberate and hostile rejection by Democratic leaders in Minnesota. Obstructing federal officers and inciting violence against law enforcement is wrong and illegal. This used to be a generally accepted position in the United States.”

The question of possible video material also remains open. The press secretary said she was not aware of the president having committed to releasing body camera footage from the involved officers. At the same time, she acknowledged that discussions with Congress were underway about requiring federal officers to wear such cameras.

The head of the Department of Homeland Security continues to receive backing from the White House. When asked whether mistakes by her department were the reason for sending the border coordinator, Tom Homan, known as the “Border Czar,” to Minnesota, the press secretary denied this. She pointed out that the department has a broad range of responsibilities, including disaster response, which is currently heavily engaged due to a severe winter storm. The border coordinator was able to travel to Minnesota on short notice to hold talks with state and local officials. This was done at the president’s request.

On one point, the press secretary departed from the wording used by other government officials. She said she had not heard the president refer to Alex Pretti as a domestic terrorist. Rather, the president had said he wanted to wait for the facts of the investigation. This restraint contrasts with statements from the Department of Homeland Security in which Pretti was accused with serious allegations.

Thus, multiple layers are converging into a conflict that has long since extended beyond Minneapolis. The White House is trying to separate the dispute from budget negotiations and signal political stability. At the same time, much hinges on the decision of a federal court that must determine whether the operations will be temporarily halted. On the streets, within the agencies, and in politics, the situation remains tense. Minnesota has become the stage for a confrontation that is about far more than a single operation - it is about power, authority, and the question of how far the federal government may go before a state draws the line.