Republicans criticise immigration force but steer clear of Trump attacks

Republican lawmakers are beginning to part ways with the Trump administration over the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis as the party struggles to respond to growing public outrage following the killings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents.

But while some Republicans in Washington have spoken out against the deadly shootings, they have refrained from directly criticizing President Donald Trump or his broader immigration agenda.

The messages emerging in Minneapolis point to the party’s central dilemma heading into the midterm elections: whether and how to steer clear of the biggest controversies of Trump’s second term, while keeping up with his overall record on immigration and other issues — a record popular on the right that most Republicans helped Congress pass.

Their reactions to the rapidly evolving events in Minneapolis underscore the delicate balancing act.

So far, Republicans have directed their criticism at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, which was at the forefront of the Minneapolis operation, and other Department of Homeland Security agencies.

But at the same time, Republicans have supported Trump’s immigration plans since his return to the White House without stating their support.

Last year, the Republican-controlled Congress approved nearly $45 billion in additional funding for border security and domestic enforcement to help the administration carry out Trump’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the country.

That support has continued as opinion polls show a majority of Americans believe ICE has gone too far with its tactics under Trump. A New York Times/Siena poll released last Friday found that 61 percent of voters believe ICE’s tactics “go too far.”

The poll appeared two weeks after U.S. citizen Renee Good was fatally shot by a federal agent in Minneapolis and a day before another American citizen, Alex Pretti, was killed by agents in the city, sparking protests across the country.

In the face of public outcry over the killings, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, on Monday called on leaders of ICE and two other federal agencies to testify before his panel next month. The request comes alongside calls from other Senate Republicans for more oversight of ICE in the wake of Pretti’s shooting.

“The tragedy and chaos the nation witnessed in Minneapolis is shocking,” Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski wrote on social media. “ICE agents do not have full authority in the performance of their duties.”

Murkowski’s condemnation is not a big surprise. The Alaska moderate is one of a handful of Republicans in Congress who have been willing to openly criticize Trump since he first entered office. Paul has also clashed with the president and administration on past issues.

On Tuesday, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis became one of the first prominent Republicans to call for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s resignation.

Noem “has proven to be way out of her depth,” Tillis told reporters, adding that her lead in Minnesota “should be disqualifying.”

The White House said Trump has confidence in Noem.

Moderate Republicans like Murkowski are not the only ones in the party criticizing the immigration operation in Minnesota.

In recent days, some of Trump’s allies in Congress have also begun speaking out against the shootings, but most have issued carefully worded statements that do not explicitly mention the president.

“There are serious unanswered questions regarding the use of federal force in Minnesota. Transparency and accountability are very important,” said Ohio Representative Max Miller, a former adviser to Trump.

New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, called on the heads of ICE and other agencies to testify before Congress. Garbarino also supported a thorough investigation into Pretti’s shooting.

“Congress has an important responsibility to ensure the safety of law enforcement and the people they serve and protect,” Garbarino said.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz issued a more direct criticism of the administration in the wake of Pretti’s shooting. But he focused on the administration’s rhetoric in response to the attacks and did not break away from Trump’s larger agenda.

“What the administration could do better about this is that when an incident like this occurs, they immediately bring out the weapons, put it in whatever tone, say we took out a violent terrorist, yay,” Cruz said Monday on his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz.

The Republican response is also complicated by a gun ownership debate that has pitted the administration against the National Rifle Association, a traditional ally of the political right. A federal prosecutor appointed by Trump in Los Angeles, in a post on social media following Pretti’s death, said that people who approach law enforcement officers with guns should expect a “high probability” of being shot.

The NRA reacted harshly to these remarks. “Responsible public voices should not make generalizations and demonize law-abiding citizens, but should await a full investigation,” the NRA said in a statement. he said.

Some Republican lawmakers are advocating for sanctions against immigrants in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities. Trump’s immigration policies remain popular with the party’s base, and after the recent shootings in Minneapolis, some Republican voters in the state told the BBC they didn’t think the president should have done anything different.

“They’re just doing their job, which is true,” Jay Cielinski said of ICE in an interview Tuesday in his hometown of Zimmerman, about a 50-minute drive north of Minneapolis.

The 59-year-old home inspector and self-described Trump supporter also said protesters, state and local authorities should not interfere with federal immigration operations; That view was echoed by many Republicans, including Trump and other senior administration officials.

“They should stay home, get out of the way,” Cielinski said of people protesting federal immigration enforcement. “Law enforcement officials in the city, state and county [levels] That should encourage ICE to come in. “They should expose people who are illegal.”

Still, cautious rebukes from Cruz and other leading Republicans in Washington signaled an attempt to hold the administration accountable without alienating supporters like Cielinski.

The increased criticism from Republican lawmakers comes as Trump has changed his tone in recent days after more facts emerged about the circumstances surrounding Pretti’s death.

Following the shooting, Trump initially called Pretti a “gunman” and other senior U.S. officials claimed the 37-year-old intensive care nurse showed up armed to an enforcement action to try to kill federal agents. But others disputed this, saying Pretti recorded ICE agents on his phone, then helped a woman who was pushed to the ground, and that he was not armed when he was shot.

Trump has since softened his rhetoric and taken steps to ease tensions in Minneapolis. This week, he sent the White House border czar Tom Homan to take over the operation, known as Operation Metro Surge. Homan’s arrival represented a shakeup in leadership, as top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino was expected to leave the city.

Trump suggested Tuesday that the purpose of sending Homan to Minneapolis was to bring calm there. “We’re going to de-escalate some,” Trump said in a Fox News interview.

The president also met Monday with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats. Frey later said Trump told him the “current situation” in Minneapolis could not continue.

White House officials also retracted their statements.

“No one in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people injured or killed on the streets of America,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. he said. “It is President Trump’s hope, wish and demand that the resistance and chaos end today.”

These statements appear to have opened the door for more Republicans to voice concerns about the shootings.

But the party’s future approach to immigration messaging remains to be seen, both ahead of the midterm elections later this year and in the wake of the violence in Minneapolis.

There are already signs of a shutdown war on immigration policy that could push lawmakers into their own partisan camps.

Senate Democrats have vowed to block a spending package if it includes additional funding for DHS, setting the stage for a possible government shutdown later this week. The fight could put pressure on Trump’s party to defend his immigration agenda and overshadow Republican calls for an investigation into the Minneapolis shootings.

Republicans will likely continue to take their cues from Trump, too. How he responds will shape the debate in the days and weeks to come.

Ana Faguy and Kristina Volk contributed reporting from Minneapolis.