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Congressman Paul Tonko is set to hold a news conference today in Albany to denounce recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in Minneapolis that resulted in two civilian deaths.
The Democratic representative from New York's 20th Congressional District will specifically address the fatal shootings of Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24, both U.S. citizens killed by federal immigration officers during enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
"ICE has terrorized and brutalized communities," Tonko said ahead of the conference, noting he has already voted against an appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security.
The congressman's press conference comes amid growing controversy over the Department of Homeland Security's "Operation Metro Surge" in Minneapolis, which deployed 3,000 federal immigration agents to the city. According to PolitiFact, Vice President JD Vance's claim that Minneapolis has "the highest concentration of people who have violated our immigration laws" is false. Data shows immigrants in the country illegally represent only about 2.4% of the Minneapolis metro area's population, with dozens of other metro areas having larger concentrations.
The deaths of Good and Pretti have sparked national outrage and scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics. Video footage of Pretti's shooting contradicts Trump administration officials' statements about the event. While Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Pretti was "brandishing" a handgun and "attacked" officers, multiple news organizations verified videos showing Pretti holding a cell phone, not a gun, when confronted by officers.
Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital who had a concealed carry permit, was shot after Border Patrol agents tackled him to the ground. One officer appears to have removed Pretti's gun from his hip before another officer fired several shots at him while he was restrained.
The Trump administration has faced criticism for its characterization of both victims as "domestic terrorists." Pretti's parents released a statement calling the administration's claims "sickening lies" that were "reprehensible and disgusting."
Following the shootings, The Wall Street Journal reported that two Border Patrol agents who fired shots at Pretti were placed on administrative leave. President Trump and his aides have been "rushing to limit the political damage" and shift their strategy in Minnesota, moving away from harsh language to calls for easing tensions in Minneapolis.
Tonko's news conference is expected to address not only these specific incidents but also the broader future of ICE as an agency. The timing is significant, as it comes just days before a deadline to pass a $1.3 trillion package of spending bills that would avert a partial government shutdown.