Republican lawmakers are increasingly alarmed that aggressive immigration enforcement — and two recent deaths during Homeland Security operations in Minneapolis — could harm GOP prospects in the midterm elections. Some senators, including Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski, have publicly urged accountability and changes at the Department of Homeland Security, with Secretary Kristi Noem a focal point of criticism. Democrats are threatening to block Homeland Security funding ahead of the Jan. 31 deadline, and several Republicans have floated separating that funding for further debate.
Republicans Fear Midterm Backlash After Minneapolis Immigration Raids, Fatalities
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., speaks with reporters following a closed-door meeting with fellow Republicans on spending legislation that funds the Department of Homeland Security and a swath of other government agencies, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers are growing increasingly concerned that the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement — including two recent deaths during operations in Minneapolis — could become a major political liability ahead of the midterm elections.
Although few Republicans have publicly broken with President Donald Trump, criticism has intensified inside the party as leaders quietly urge the White House to change course. The dispute has come to a head with an end-of-week government funding deadline: Democrats are threatening to withhold Homeland Security funding unless significant changes are made, and some GOP senators are weighing how to respond without openly opposing the president.
Political Fallout and Calls for Accountability
“This is about regaining the trust of the American people on this issue, and I really think we’re losing on an issue that we should be winning on,” Sen. Thom Tillis told reporters on Capitol Hill. Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is retiring at the end of his term, has been unusually candid in pressing for change.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is surrounded by reporters following a closed-door Republican meeting on spending legislation that funds the Department of Homeland Security and a swath of other government agencies, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Two people were killed during federal operations in Minneapolis: Alex Pretti, 37, and Renee Good, 37. Their deaths have prompted a crescendo of criticism and renewed scrutiny of Homeland Security’s tactics.
“The administration has lost control of the narrative,” said Jason Roe, a Republican strategist working on midterm campaigns. He warned that Democratic voter enthusiasm is rising while GOP turnout does not show comparable momentum.
Noem In The Spotlight
For Republicans who want to express concern without directly confronting the president, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has become the focal point. Sen. Lisa Murkowski publicly called for Noem to step down, saying the department must be accountable for the recent chaos and tragedy.
Trump, however, defended Noem and said she would remain in his administration. Democrats have called for her impeachment, but lack the votes in the Republican-controlled Senate to advance that effort.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Funding Deadline And Congressional Pressure
Lawmakers are using the Jan. 31 funding deadline as leverage. President Trump has signed six of the 12 annual spending bills for the current budget year, but six bills remain, including the Homeland Security appropriations bill. Several Senate Republicans said they would consider separating the Homeland Security funding bill from the broader package to allow more focused debate.
Other GOP voices have been more cautious. First-term Sen. Ted Budd said he supports the president’s immigration goals and hoped a personnel reshuffle in Minnesota would lead to “orderly and systematic operations” focused on the most dangerous offenders.
The administration moved to change leadership on the ground in Minneapolis, bringing in border czar Tom Homan to replace Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino as the on-the-ground point person. Trump said Homan’s presence should help produce a “more relaxed” and “de‑escalated” approach, even as he lashed out at Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey after Frey urged that the operation end “as quickly as possible,” calling the mayor “PLAYING WITH FIRE.”
President Donald Trump speaks during the launch of a program known as Trump Accounts at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Washington.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The controversy has reverberated in key states. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who faces a competitive reelection campaign, said she asked the administration to pause enforcement surges in her state and in Minnesota.
Immigration remains a central issue for Trump and his supporters. A January Associated Press‑NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found that Republicans broadly support the president’s immigration agenda — but party leaders worry the present controversy threatens that political advantage at a sensitive moment ahead of the midterms.
Reporting contributed by Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C.
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