Rep. Wesley Hunt defended keeping ICE operations in Minnesota after the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Prettion, urging President Trump to “double down.”
However, roll-call records show Hunt missed a key vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security (ICE’s parent agency), a measure that passed 220-207.
Hunt has missed a large share of recent votes, drew public criticism from Senate rival John Cornyn, and later returned to cast a decisive vote on a Venezuela-related measure.
Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt, 44, drew scrutiny after vocally defending continued Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota even as records showed he missed a crucial House vote to fund ICE’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Hunt publicly rejected calls for President Donald Trump to withdraw ICE from Minnesota following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old nurse Alex Prettion amid unrest linked to immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. In a lengthy post on X, he called efforts to pull ICE out of the state “surrender” and urged the president to “double down.”
“President Trump shouldn’t pull ICE out, he should double down,” Hunt wrote. “The rule of law will be enforced by the federal government. The border will be secured. And every individual who violated federal immigration law must be deported. Period.” He warned that yielding to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s request to halt ICE activity would be “capitulating” and risk the erosion of republican institutions.
Hunt’s rhetoric was quickly undercut by his attendance record. Sen. John Cornyn — Hunt’s chief Republican rival in the Senate race — called out the congressman on X, asking, “Nice speech. When are you going to show up for work?” Cornyn’s campaign even launched a site, WheresWesleyHunt.com, to track Hunt’s votes.
Official roll-call records show Hunt was absent for the Thursday vote on a sprawling spending package that funded several federal agencies, including DHS. The House passed the measure 220-207 after seven Democrats joined Republicans amid internal disagreement over ICE operations.
According to GovTrack, a nonprofit transparency site, Hunt missed 44 of 48 roll-call votes that month and missed roughly 24% of House votes the previous year. Observers also reported spotting Hunt at Dulles International Airport while the DHS funding vote was underway.
When Hunt returned to Capitol Hill later that day, he cast a pivotal vote against a measure that would have barred President Trump from taking unilateral military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. Hunt’s campaign issued a news release celebrating his return, saying he had rushed back from the campaign trail to cast the decisive vote.
Later the same day, Hunt declined to answer questions about his absentee voting record. His office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bottom Line: Hunt’s strong public stance in favor of ICE enforcement was met with criticism after it emerged he had missed the DHS funding vote — raising questions about his attendance and commitment in Congress even as he campaigns for the Senate.
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