Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said President Donald Trump should consider removing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from Minnesota to let residents decide whether criminal illegal aliens should be allowed to remain in the state.
Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, made the comments as Minneapolis remained engulfed in unrest following the fatal shooting of protester Alex Pretti during an ICE-related operation over the weekend.
The incident has intensified criticism of Minnesota's Democrat leadership and raised questions about coordination, public safety, and accountability.
Speaking Sunday on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," Comer warned the situation could deteriorate further if state and local leaders continue what he described as reckless rhetoric toward federal law enforcement.
"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 innocent lives, then maybe go to another city," Comer said.
"Let the people of Minneapolis decide, 'Do we want to continue to have all of these illegals?'"
Comer contrasted Minneapolis with Washington, D.C., where he said cooperation between the Trump administration and local officials helped restore order and reduce crime.
In Minnesota, he argued, Democrat Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have instead inflamed tensions by portraying ICE enforcement actions as illegal raids.
"We've got white liberals coming in trying to run over ICE, spray them, and disrupt them," Comer told Fox News in a separate interview. "That's because state and local officials are getting people fired up."
Comer called for de-escalation in the wake of Pretti's death, saying the chaos would "only get worse" if leadership continues to undermine federal agents.
Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot by a federal agent while filming an ICE operation. Authorities are investigating whether he posed a threat.
Other Republicans have also weighed in.
Sens. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., called for a full investigation, warning that the credibility of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security is at stake, the New York Post reported.
Homeland Security officials have said they are reviewing body camera footage and witness accounts.
Trump told The Wall Street Journal that his administration is "reviewing everything" surrounding the shooting and confirmed that ICE operations in the Twin Cities would eventually wind down, to be replaced by a separate federal law enforcement effort focused on investigating large-scale benefits fraud in Minneapolis.
Comer said the controversy underscores a larger issue: sanctuary policies that he said have allowed thousands of criminal illegal aliens to remain in Minnesota.
"A majority of Americans want criminal illegals apprehended and sent back where they came from," Comer said. "ICE is trying to do its job, but Minnesota's leaders are making that impossible — and dangerous."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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