Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shared a video Friday highlighting Americans killed by illegal aliens, saying the victims represent "who we fight for" as the administration continues to crack down on illegal immigration.
"We are deporting criminals from America so that no family will have to suffer a tragedy like this ever again," Noem wrote in a post on X alongside the 46-second video, which featured dozens of victims.
The post comes as Noem faces mounting criticism following two fatal shootings involving ICE protesters this month in Minneapolis, the most recent occurring last weekend.
President Donald Trump has publicly defended Noem, dismissing calls for her resignation.
"I think she's done a very good job," Trump said this week. "The border is totally secure."
At the same time, Trump dispatched White House border czar Tom Homan to oversee immigration law enforcement operations in Minnesota. Those efforts had previously fallen under the purview of Noem and Gregory Bovino, the administration's Border Patrol commander.
Trump and Noem met privately for approximately two hours Monday amid growing political backlash.
Several Democrat lawmakers — along with at least two Republicans — have since called for Noem's removal.
Alex Pretti's death marked the second fatal shooting involving federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis in less than three weeks.
Earlier this month, Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by an ICE agent after authorities say she used her vehicle to block an immigration enforcement operation and then attempted to flee, driving toward an agent who was assisting in her arrest for obstruction.
Noem's post sought to refocus attention on the mission of ICE and the stakes of immigration enforcement.
"There are countless Americans who live with a broken heart because an illegal immigrant, who should never have been in our country, was allowed to stay and take an innocent life," she wrote.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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