Federal lawmakers from Illinois react to fatal shooting of Minneapolis protester

Many Americans, including snowed-in residents of Illinois, spent the weekend watching events unfold in Minneapolis, where U.S. Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse who was protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities in the city.

The shooting occurred about 9 a.m. Saturday. Since that time, some federal lawmakers who represent the metro-east have commented on social media or posted statements on websites; others have not.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Democrat from Illinois

Durbin posted two comments related to the shooting on Facebook, the first one at 2:16 p.m. Saturday:

“Another tragic, fatal shooting by a federal immigration officer in Minnesota. This is heartbreaking and infuriating. My office is gathering information as we speak. But what we do know: ICE’s egregious, reckless behavior in our communities must come to an end. “Now.”

Durbin’s second post at 7:54 p.m. Saturday addressed his position on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding bill:

“I will not vote to fund the illegal DHS and ICE operations that terrorize Chicago, Minneapolis, and many other communities. The deaths of innocent Americans and the detaining of thousands of innocent people are a national disgrace.

“Secretary Noem refuses to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to account for her stewardship over this reign of terror. I will not reward her arrogance and lawlessness with my vote.”

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Democrat from Illinois

Duckworth has posted several comments on social media and one lengthy statement on her website, beginning with this Facebook post at 2:13 p.m. Saturday: “ICE just violently swarmed, shot and killed another person in Minnesota. They shot him again and again, long after he stopped moving on the ground. “ICE cannot be trusted. “We need oversight. “We need accountability. “And. No. More. Funding.”

Duckworth posted again at 5:54 p.m. Saturday:

“Public executions at the hands of the government should never happen in ‘the land of the free.’ “Not one more taxpayer dollar for Trump’s DHS, CBP or ICE.”

At 11 a.m. Sunday, Duckworth reposted a statement from Pretti’s parents, along with her own comment:

“’Please get the truth out about our son.’ “Alex Pretti, a VA ICU nurse, was killed by ICE while trying to protect a woman being assaulted. “Trump calls him a ‘monster’ and ‘domestic terrorist.’ “Trust your own eyes. Unlike Trump, the video doesn’t lie.”

Duckworth posted this comment at 1:52 p.m. Sunday:

“Our independent watchdogs are failing the American people. “ICE has attacked citizens, cops and kids in Chicago. “They are killing people in Minneapolis. “Then turn around and lie to our faces. “If this pattern of abuse doesn’t warrant a joint investigative task force, what does??”

At 8:42 p.m. Sunday, Duckworth reposted a post by President Donald Trump that called on the Minnesota governor and Minneapolis mayor to cooperate with federal officials, along with her own comment:

“There have been 3 homicides in Minneapolis this year. Trump’s agents committed two of them: a mom and a nurse who cared for our Veterans. “Stay the hell out of our cities.”

Duckworth released the following statement Sunday on her website:

“After Trump’s lawless masked agents publicly and remorselessly executed another American citizen in broad daylight yesterday, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) tonight announced that she will seek to force the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) to deploy criminal investigators and other personnel to conduct transparent and independent investigations, in coordination with state law enforcement authorities, into the Trump Administration’s continuing and increasingly frequent use of excessive and even deadly force against our neighbors and loved ones through an amendment to the DHS Appropriations Act that the Senate will debate this week. Duckworth’s amendment comes after DHS failed to secure the scene of the deadly shooting of Alex Pretti, an American citizen who served Veterans as an ICU nurse civil servant, and sought to block state law enforcement from investigating the killing. Duckworth first called on the DHS and DOJ OIGs to investigate officer-involved use of force incidents 100 days ago, following a series of shockingly violent assaults and reckless shootings by Trump’s masked agents against American citizens in Illinois, and Duckworth reiterated and expanded her request following the brutal killing of Renee Good, an American citizen and mother of three. Shamefully, just days before Trump’s agents murdered Alex Pretti, the DHS and DOJ OIGs — both of whom Trump appointed — denied Duckworth’s request.

“’Americans across the country have been watching in horror as ICE and Border Patrol agents have terrorized communities, targeted kids and daycare teachers, assaulted peaceful protestors and even publicly executed two U.S. citizens in broad daylight — and then lied about what happened to try and cover their asses,’ said Duckworth. ‘This Administration has proven beyond a doubt that it cannot be trusted to conduct legitimate, unbiased investigations into the widespread excessive, and too often deadly, uses of force by its untrained, unhinged agents — which is why I’m going to do everything in my power to force investigations that are actually transparent and independent. The American people deserve nothing less than the truth.’

“The Independent Investigations and Accountability Amendment would require, within 14 days of enactment, that the DHS OIG deploy investigators to conduct investigations into all use of force incidents that have occurred under the Trump Administration’s aggressive and reckless civil immigration and interior enforcement operations, including Operations Metro Surge and Midway Blitz.

“’We desperately need real accountability for Trump’s agents’ deadly and lawless behavior,’ continued Duckworth. ‘Too many communities have been harassed. Too many liberties have been trampled upon. Too many Americans have been murdered in the street. Enough. Since these watchdogs denied my request urging them to rise to the occasion and stick up for the American people in the face of unprecedented abuse at the hands of the federal government, I intend to force them to.’

“To enforce the requirements of Duckworth’s amendment, failure to initiate investigations of prior use of force incidents within 14 days of enactment would result in the DHS IG not receiving pay, and if noncompliance continues to 30 days, DHS IG Cuffari would be terminated — and his acting successor would be subject to the same enforcement provisions.

“Specifically, the amendment would require that:

• DHS OIG would deploy teams of criminal investigators and other personnel to investigate all use of force incidents that have occurred since January 20, 2025, under immigration and interior enforcement operations and conduct timely independent investigations of any subsequent office involved use of force incidents that occur under these operations;
• DHS OIG coordinate with other agency OIGs, including DOJ OIG, as necessary, given the degree to which the Trump administration has mandated that Federal law enforcement agencies abandon statutory mission activities to provide ICE with non-reimbursed support;
• DHS OIG coordinate with State and local law enforcement agencies, including in sharing information and evidence that may be relevant to concurrent State and local law enforcement investigations into a Federal agents use of force;
• DHS OIG publish the results of each independent investigation, addressing compliance with Federal law, regulation and agency policy; and in cases where investigations culminate in a referral for a criminal prosecution or civil penalty and adverse action, a justification for each referral.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, Republican from Illinois 12th District

In the past two days, Bost has posted notices about the Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Act and National School Choice Week and an announcement that his district offices are closed due to the snowstorm but, as of midday Monday, no comments regarding the Minneapolis shooting on his Facebook page.

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, Democrat from Illinois 13th District

Budzinski posted this comment on Facebook and Twitter just after noon Saturday:

“This is horrific. These masked men aren’t making us any safer — they are creating fear, panic, and acting without regard to the rule of law. “We need accountability now.”

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, Republican from Illinois 15th District

Miller has posted several times on Facebook since the shooting, the first at 8:59 a.m. Sunday:

“’God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’ – Psalm 46:1”

Miller’s second post came at 2:40 p.m. Sunday:

“Democrats aided and abetted a foreign invasion by millions of illegals, and now threaten to shut the government down to obstruct the enforcement of our immigration laws. “President Trump and House Republicans put America first. “Democrats put America last.”

Miller’s third post at 6:21 p.m. Sunday and fourth post at 8:10 a.m. Monday were reposts of posts by Trump.

This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 1:32 PM.