WASHINGTON D.C January 25, 2026 – Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) announced on Sunday that she will not support additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), citing aggressive tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents that she claims are endangering communities in her state. In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Klobuchar described ICE operations as an “invasion” and accused the agency of violating constitutional rights while making Minnesota “less safe.”
The senator’s stance comes amid escalating tensions following two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis this month. The most recent incident involved 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Hospital and a U.S. citizen with no criminal record, who was killed by ICE agents on Saturday morning. Video footage shows Pretti holding a cellphone while assisting a woman who had slipped during a protest. According to Klobuchar, agents pepper-sprayed him, took him to the ground, and shot him at least 10 times. DHS officials claim Pretti posed a threat and had a weapon, but local authorities note he held a legal permit to carry and was not brandishing it.
This follows the earlier killing of Renee Nicole Good, another Minnesotan with no criminal history, described by Klobuchar as a poet. “Two people with no criminal record—one was a poet, one was a nurse,” Klobuchar said, emphasizing the victims’ backgrounds to counter Trump administration characterizations of them as threats. The senator highlighted statements from Pretti’s parents, who described him as a “kind-hearted soul” dedicated to caring for veterans.
Klobuchar pointed to broader issues with ICE’s expanded presence under the Trump administration, noting that 3,000 federal agents now outnumber the 1,100 sworn officers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. She accused the agency of cutting training from five months to just 47 days—a number she linked to Trump being the 47th president—and conducting raids without judicial warrants, including incidents where agents allegedly took a two-year-old from their mother’s arms and mistakenly detained an elderly Hmong man in his underwear.
“We’re always going to have some immigration enforcement in this country and border control,” Klobuchar acknowledged. “But the way that this agency has been functioning is completely against every tenet of law enforcement.” She called for an overhaul, including new leadership, an end to “surges” in operations, mandatory body cameras, and adherence to judicial warrants. Klobuchar also accused ICE and Border Patrol of violating the First, Second, and Fourth Amendments, a claim echoed by the NRA’s defense of Pretti’s legal gun ownership and the International Police Chiefs Association’s call for following proper procedures.
The Trump administration has admitted mistakes in the operations but blamed local officials for obstructing deportations. Public outrage is high, with over 60% of voters in a recent poll saying ICE tactics have gone too far. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Senator Klobuchar, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have all demanded that ICE leave the state, amid reports of state officials using Signal chats to coordinate resistance—actions some critics label as “insurrection.”
Democrats, including Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), have joined Klobuchar in opposing further funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with Schiff stating he won’t give them “another dime” as a potential government shutdown looms. Klobuchar referenced DHS’s budget increase to over $75 billion, making it larger than the FBI, and confirmed she voted against tripling it over the summer.
Reactions to Klobuchar’s position are divided. Supporters praise her for standing against perceived abuses, with one X user calling it a defense of constitutional rights. Critics, however, accuse her of hypocrisy, pointing to past Democratic support for ICE and suggesting her stance protects illegal immigrants and enables fraud. “She will defund ICE so that criminals are free to keep the money flowing,” one commenter wrote on X.
The controversy also touches on ongoing fraud investigations in Minnesota, where dozens have been charged with stealing millions from government programs. Klobuchar, a former prosecutor, emphasized the need for jail time and system reforms, while noting Walz has admitted he “should have done more.”
Amid speculation about her political future, Klobuchar has filed paperwork for a potential gubernatorial run but insisted her current focus is solely on removing ICE from Minnesota. “There is no time for politics right now,” she said.
As investigations proceed—led by state agencies despite federal blocks—the situation in Minnesota highlights the national divide over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. DHS has blocked state involvement in the Pretti probe, prompting a federal judge to order preservation of evidence. With 50,000 peaceful protesters marching recently, the state remains on edge.
About The Author
