Decision announced by Donald Trump after ICE agents fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis: “It's tough, but fair”

Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is sending Tom Homan, his chief border officer, to the state of Minnesota on Monday, after a wave of criticism triggered by the incident in which ICE officers fatally shot an American citizen in the city of Minneapolis, reports Reuters.

“Tom is tough, but fair, and will report directly to me,” Donald Trump noted in a message posted on his Truth Social social network. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a separate message published on “X” that Homan will manage the Minnesota operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Homan, a former police officer and Border Patrol agent, served under six presidents during his three decades in law enforcement. He served as associate director for law enforcement and deportation operations under former Democratic President Barack Obama. During his administration, ICE carried out a record number of deportations, according to NPR.

Homan has repeatedly praised Trump for doing the most to secure the border.

Trump said ICE agents would be withdrawn from Minneapolis, but not when

On Sunday, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that his administration is reviewing the recent shooting and hinted at a willingness to eventually withdraw ICE agents from the Minneapolis area.

“At some point we're going to leave. We did, they did a phenomenal job,” Trump told the WSJ, without elaborating on when the agents might be withdrawn.

His comments came after ICE officers shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti on Saturday. The Department of Homeland Security characterized the incident as the result of an attack by Pretti, but video footage taken by witnesses and verified by Reuters showed Pretti holding a phone, not a gun, as he tried to help other protesters who had been tackled to the ground by agents.

The deadly incident occurred after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good after approaching her parked car on January 7th.

Trump administration officials said she was trying to hit the agent with her vehicle, but other observers said video taken by witnesses suggested she was trying to get away from the officer who shot her.

ICE's actions have begun to worry even Trump's allies

Republicans who have expressed concern about the events include Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who told CNN that people had seen their fellow Americans shot on television and that “the tactics and accountability of the federal authorities” had become a growing concern for voters.

Senator Bill Cassidy said the investigation into the second fatal incident should involve both federal and state authorities. He said the incident was “incredibly disturbing” and that “the credibility of ICE and DHS is at stake.”

Congressman James Comer, a Trump ally, suggested the president should consider pulling immigration agents out of Minneapolis and sending them elsewhere, telling Fox News that the city's mayor and the state's governor are putting them at risk and “there is a risk that even more innocent lives will be lost.”

In his comments to the Wall Street Journal, Trump said of deploying the agents: “At some point, we're going to go. We did what we had to do, they did a phenomenal job.”

For their part, congressional Democrats have responded by threatening to block a key spending package to keep the government running if it contains funding for DHS, raising the prospect of another federal government shutdown.

Former Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama both criticized the situation in Minneapolis.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) — which is usually aligned with Trump — also hit back after the administration's comments, joining other US gun rights lobby groups in calling for a full investigation.

In a statement, the association said: “Responsible public voices should await a full investigation, not generalize and demonize law-abiding citizens.”