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Calls for congressional investigation
In the wake of the most recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement shooting Saturday in Minneapolis, Republican House Rep. Michael Baumgartner has called for Congress to investigate the immigration enforcement agency.
“It’s critically important that the American people and Congress be given a better understanding of how immigration enforcement is being handled, including the methods federal law enforcement officers are using to prioritize, identify and arrest suspected targets, the training they are receiving, the implementation of body cameras, the threats they face in conducting operations and the challenges posed by sanctuary cities and states,” Baumgartner, who represents Washington’s 5th Congressional District, wrote in a post Saturday on X.
The Spokane politician joins a small number of Capitol Hill Republicans to question ICE following the killing of Minneapolis man Alex Pretti on Saturday. Witness accounts, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune, report Pretti had his hands in the air before assisting a woman whom ICE agents had shoved to the ground. Video of the incident shows Pretti is sprayed in the face with chemical irritant and tackled by multiple ICE agents before being shot several times in the back. As many as 10 gunshots are heard in the video.
In his statement Baumgartner said he was “disturbed” by what he saw in video recordings of the shooting.
Republicans who have publicly questioned ICE’s actions include Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas and Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, renewed calls Saturday for ICE and Department of Homeland Security officials to give congressional testimony over their actions in Minneapolis.
“I applaud the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee for quickly calling a full committee hearing,” Baumgartner wrote of Garbarino. “I once again urge ALL public officials to make responsible statements, based on facts, that do not inflame things.”
Washington’s Democratic senators condemned the ICE shooting.
“We all saw another American shot and killed in broad daylight,” Sen. Patty Murray wrote in a statement. “There must be accountability, and we must keep pushing Republicans to work with us to rein in DHS.”
Sen. Maria Cantwell said the president had “crossed the line.”
“Americans will not stand for masked, armed troops roaming their neighborhoods. ICE is not trained in this capacity and should not be on streets. This incident should be investigated immediately and not politicized by the President,” according to a statement.
