Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) called for an end to what he described as the "excessive use of force" during federal immigration operations in Minnesota, warning that aggressive tactics risk turning political gains into liabilities. His remarks follow the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis. White House border czar Tom Homan visited Minnesota, announced internal changes, and said President Trump wants the situation fixed while remaining committed to strict immigration enforcement.
Rep. McCaul Calls For End To 'Excessive Force' In Minnesota Immigration Raids After Fatal Shootings
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on Sunday urged federal immigration authorities to stop what he called the "excessive use of force" during enforcement operations in Minnesota, remarks that come amid mounting controversy over the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.
Speaking with Margaret Brennan on CBS News’ Face the Nation, McCaul emphasized that while most Americans support removing violent criminals from the streets, aggressive tactics that produce disturbing images can undermine public support.
“The mission, I think, is to get violent felons out of the country. Most people support that. It’s a president — the number one issue the president won the election on. What I worry about is turning a winning issue into a liability,” McCaul said. “I still believe the American people want us to remove dangerous, violent criminals from the streets, but they don’t want to see these images of children and people being dragged out of their cars and U.S. citizens. Those excessive use of forces cases need to stop. And I think Tom Homan will de-escalate the situation, as I’ve been calling for for weeks.”
The comments followed the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis last month, incidents that were carried out by federal immigration authorities and sparked intensified public anger and scrutiny of enforcement tactics during President Trump’s second term.
White House border czar Tom Homan visited Minnesota and on Thursday outlined internal changes to federal immigration operations there in response to the deaths. At a subsequent press conference, Homan said, “President Trump wants this fixed, and I’m going to fix it, with your help.” He later reiterated that the administration remains "serious" about cracking down on illegal immigration nationwide.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. The developments have heightened calls from some lawmakers and community leaders for clearer rules of engagement and stronger oversight to prevent similar tragedies while maintaining efforts to remove individuals convicted of violent crimes.
Context: The debate highlights tensions between aggressive immigration enforcement priorities and concerns about civil liberties, public perception, and the safety of non-targeted civilians during operations.
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