Republicans Tread Lightly Amid Immigration Force Criticism

Tue Feb 03 2026 21:03:13 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As public outrage grows over recent fatal shootings by federal agents, Republican lawmakers are voicing concerns about immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis, while carefully avoiding direct criticism of President Trump.

Republican lawmakers are expressing disappointment over the immigration operation in Minneapolis which resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens, yet many are refraining from directly attacking President Trump or his immigration policy. This stance reflects the party's struggle to balance public sentiment ahead of the midterm elections while maintaining support for the administration's agenda. Calls for oversight of agencies like ICE are growing, but the party remains cautious in its criticism, seeking to satisfy its base and uphold Trump's popularity among conservatives.

Republican lawmakers are starting to break with the Trump administration over its immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, as the party scrambles to respond to growing public anger after two US citizens were killed by federal agents.

But even as some Republicans in Washington speak out against the fatal shootings, they've avoided directly criticising President Donald Trump or his broader immigration agenda.

The emerging messaging on Minneapolis points to the party's main dilemma heading into the midterm elections: whether and how to distance itself from the biggest controversies of Trump's second term, while running on his overall record on immigration and other issues - a record that's popular on the right, and that most Republicans helped push through Congress.

So far, Republicans have focused criticism on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE - the agency at the forefront of the Minneapolis operation - and other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security taking part.

But at the same time, Republicans have backed Trump's immigration plans since his return to the White House, without highlighting their support.

Last year, the Republican-controlled Congress approved roughly $45 billion for border security and additional funding for interior enforcement to help the administration carry out Trump's plan to deport millions of undocumented migrants from the country.

That support continued as opinion polls have consistently shown a majority of Americans believe ICE has gone too far in its tactics under Trump. A New York Times/Siena poll out last Friday found that 61 percent of voters believe ICE's tactics have gone too far.\

The survey came out two weeks after Renee Good, a US citizen, was fatally shot by a federal agent in Minneapolis, and one day before another American citizen, Alex Pretti, was killed by agents in the city, sparking nationwide protests.

In the face of public outcry over the killings, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, called on Monday for the leaders of ICE and two other federal agencies to testify before his panel next month. The request came alongside calls from other Senate Republicans for more oversight of ICE after Pretti's shooting.

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who is known to criticize Trump, stated on social media, ICE agents do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina also became vocal, calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to step down, citing her leadership's inadequacy in Minnesota.

Moderate Republicans and even some of Trump's allies in Congress have started to raise concerns, though mainly in vague terms not explicitly targeting the president. They have voiced a need for transparency and accountability in the use of force by federal agents.

As the situation develops, the Republican Party is attempting to balance public pressure while maintaining its core base's support in the lead-up to the midterms.