GOP Sen. Cassidy calls for investigation after Border Patrol agent kills Minneapolis man

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., called for a full investigation after a federal agent shot and killed an allegedly armed man in Minneapolis on Saturday, calling the incident “incredibly disturbing.”

Cassidy joined a group of Democratic lawmakers asking questions following the shooting death of Minneapolis resident Alex J. Pretti, 37, by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday. Pretti allegedly confronted officers during a Department of Homeland Security operation in south Minneapolis and was carrying a gun, according to the agency.

“The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing,” Cassidy said on Channel X. “The credibility of ICE and DHS is at stake. There must be a full federal and state investigation.”

Cassidy added that “we can trust the American people with truth.”

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The Louisiana Republican’s comments appeared to be at odds with members of his own party, including President Donald Trump, who said in a Truth Social post following the shooting that federal agents “have to protect themselves” because of the lack of support from local police in Minneapolis.

“This is a sniper rifle, loaded (with two extra full magazines!), and ready to go—What’s that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect the ICE Police?” Trump wrote in the post. “The Mayor and the Governor withdrew them? It is said that many of these officers were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves—It is not an easy thing to do!”

Last week, Trump promised to allow US Rep. Julia Letlow is entering the GOP primary in Louisiana, challenging Cassidy, who has served in the US Senate since 2015. Letlow launched his Senate bid days later.

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Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), during a news conference at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, DC, on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Cassidy was one of the Senate Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the House impeached him in 2021. The Senate vote ultimately fell short of the threshold needed to impeach Trump.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a press conference Saturday that the incident occurred while DHS officers were conducting “targeted operations” in Minneapolis against an illegal immigrant with a violent criminal history.

“One spoke to US Border Patrol officers with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun,” Noem said, adding that the agents tried to disarm him.

“The police tried to disarm this person, but the suspect was armed and reacted violently,” said Noem. “Fearing for his life and the lives of his fellow officers, the agent fired in defense.”

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Noem said Pretti had “two magazines with bullets that held a lot of bullets” and had no identification, adding that “this looks like a situation where someone came to the scene to seriously injure people and kill law enforcement officers.”

He said DHS is investigating the shooting “as we do all other police-involved shootings,” adding that more information will be available.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., during a press conference on Saturday that “we need ICE in Minnesota,” while blaming the Trump administration.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar called for ICE to be removed from Minnesota while criticizing the Trump administration following the deadly Border Patrol shooting in Minneapolis. (Fox Stories)

“I myself have warned them that there are many deaths, this is happening a lot,” he said. “And clearly they’re not listening. So, we’re asking people across the country to talk to their Republican representatives to make it clear that this is not our America. This has to stop.”

White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt responded to Klobuchar’s comments on the X post on Saturday, saying federal agents should not be removed from Minnesota.

“We need dangerous illegal aliens out of Minnesota. Democrats have their priorities completely out of whack. They will not keep the American people safe,” he wrote.

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In his place, Vice President JD Vance blamed “far-left agitators” for the recent unrest in Minneapolis.

“This level of advanced chaos is unique to Minneapolis,” he wrote via X on Saturday evening. “It’s a direct result of the unrest on the far left, working with local authorities.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.