House Oversight Chair Suggests Trump Pull ICE Out of Minnesota

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer suggested on Sunday that President Donald Trump should pull back the thousands of federal officers deployed to Minneapolis, becoming the first prominent Republican to urge Trump to consider local officials’ requests for respite from the aggressive immigration crackdown that has led to two deaths, multiple shootings by federal immigration agents and widespread protests.

“If I were President Trump, I would almost think about, OK, if the mayor and the governor are going to put our ICE officials in harm’s way, and there’s a chance of losing more, you know, innocent lives or whatever, then maybe go to another city,” Comer told host Maria Bartiromo on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

“Let the people of Minneapolis decide, ‘Do we want to continue to have all of these illegals? Are we going to allow our governor, attorney general and mayor to get away with this?’ And I think the people of Minnesota would rebel against their leadership.”

Minnesota has seen widespread protests in response to the administration’s massive surge of immigration enforcement in the state. On Friday, hundreds of businesses closed their doors and thousands of protestors marched in the streets as part of a demonstration against the crackdown. Following the Saturday shooting, the protests have only intensified.

Trump directly responded to Comer’s interview in a Truth Social post, saying that Comer — who he referred to as “Jamie” — was “GREAT in his Interview this morning with Maria Bartiromo.”

“He said it all concerning Minnesota, Deranged Jack Smith, and many other topics of interest,” Trump added.

People protest against ICE in downtown Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

Representatives for Comer did not respond to NOTUS’ request for comment.

A spokesperson for the White House did not address whether Trump was considering Comer’s suggestion, instead saying: “President Trump promised to carry out the largest mass deportation operation of criminal illegal aliens, and he’s keeping his promise — including in Minnesota where heroic ICE officers have already removed illegals with additional convictions for murder, rape, assault, and more.”

After federal immigration agents shot and killed 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti on Saturday — and just weeks after federal immigration agents shot and killed another resident, Renée Good — several prominent Republicans publicly expressed their concern about aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, with many calling for an independent investigation into the shooting.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont, both Republicans, expressed their concerns Sunday following the incident.

“I think the death of Americans, what we’re seeing on TV, it’s causing deep concerns over federal tactics and accountability. Americans don’t like what they’re seeing right now,” Stitt said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “(President Trump is) getting bad advice right now.”

Scott became the second prominent Republican to call for a “pause” in ICE’s Minnesota operation Sunday, saying in a statement that Trump should “reset the federal government’s focus on truly criminal illegal immigrants.”

“In the absence of presidential action, Congress and the courts must step up to restore constitutionality,” he added.

A person walks by a makeshift memorial in Minneapolis for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer on Jan. 7. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who is currently facing a Trump-backed primary opponent, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Thom Tillis, who is not seeking reelection, all called for an investigation into the fatal shooting in Minneapolis — but did not suggest which agency should handle the probe and what steps should be taken to ensure impartiality.

Murkowski wrote on X that the killing of Pretti by ICE agents “should raise serious questions within the administration about the adequacy of immigration-enforcement training and the instructions officers are given.”

“ICE agents do not have a carte-blanche in carrying out their duties,” Murkowski wrote.

Minnesota officials said on Saturday evening that they had been blocked from investigating the shooting, claiming that Department of Homeland Security officials stopped them from accessing the scene. They filed a complaint against the Trump administration in response, leading a Trump-appointed federal judge to grant an emergency temporary restraining order on Saturday night to stop the administration from destroying or tampering with evidence related to the shooting.

Despite the small but growing number of dissenters within the Republican Party, most administration officials have stuck to their story — casting Pretti as an out-of-control protester who plotted to do agents harm by bringing a firearm to a protest. The events leading up to Pretti’s killing, however, were caught on video and largely differ from the administration’s characterization of the shooting.

Immediately following the shooting, DHS secretary Kristi Noem alleged that Pretti had committed an act of “domestic terrorism,” while Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino claimed that he had set out to “massacre” agents — both claims that lack evidence.

Federal immigration officers deploy tear gas at protesters in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

During a separate appearance on CNN Sunday morning, Bovino seemed to backtrack from those comments — sidestepping questions about whether Pretti drew or otherwise threatened to use a gun that federal authorities have alleged he was carrying.

House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino, a Republican, formally sent a letter over the weekend requesting leaders of ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services testify in a hearing on Capitol Hill.

“I am in touch with the Department of Homeland Security, and I will anticipate a full investigation that the Committee will closely monitor,” Garbarino said in a statement. “We expect recent events to be thoroughly discussed at our hearing.”

Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, posted on X on Sunday afternoon that he was “troubled by the recent events that have unfolded in Minneapolis” and called for a “thorough investigation.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, another Republican who has emerged as a critic of Trump during his second term, stopped short of directly commenting on the shooting or ICE’s tactics, saying that “carrying a firearm is not a death sentence.”

The shooting comes just as the Senate was expected to vote on a set of bills that include DHS funding next week — after they passed the House last week with Democratic support.

Following the killing, Democratic leaders were quick to announce that they would block a package of appropriation bills if they include the proposed DHS funding. They also demanded an independent investigation into the shooting and that ICE officials leave Minneapolis.

“What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling - and unacceptable in any American city,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement on Saturday. “Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE.”