Congressional Probes of ICE Deaths Expand

Rain fell on Minneapolis on Wednesday as voters placed red stickers on street lamps near the site where Border Patrol agents killed Alex Pretti. Pretti, a VA nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot in January. Community members gathered to mark the spot with "I Voted" decals, a ritual that has continued all week.

Nicki Adams, who dated Pretti and remained his close friend for nearly 17 years, watched a woman add a sticker to a lamp post covered in red. Adams said she wanted to see the stickers and be present for Pretti. "I just wanted to be here," she said. "It just means a lot to me. I think it would mean a lot to Alex, too."

Similar memorials exist in other cities. In Minneapolis, residents marked the spot where an ICE officer killed Renee Good, a mother of three, weeks before Pretti's death. In Houston, markers were placed where an officer killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a father of three and Mexican immigrant, in July.

Adams said the stickers and the election results send a message to Congress. "You work for us, and please carry on these values that we care about," she said. "We want to be seen and heard and taken care of and have our neighbors taken care of."

The deaths of Pretti and Good during the Minneapolis ICE surge drew public backlash against President Trump's deportation efforts. Federal officials have given little indication that investigations into these deaths, or those of at least seven other people killed by federal agents since Trump took office, are progressing. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for the status of those probes.

With a majority in Congress, Democrats can issue subpoenas to compel testimony from key figures in the administration's deportation plan. Targets may include White House Border Czar Tom Homan, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, former Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, and White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Congress can also demand internal documents such as use-of-force reports.

Naureen Shah, who leads the ACLU's immigration policy work, said lawmakers can now dissect the shootings and ask decision-makers about field orders and training. "It's like we can turn the faucet on and actually find out so much more," Shah said. She noted the need to understand how officials labeled Pretti a "would-be assassin" and domestic terrorist when video showed otherwise.

Democratic leaders have outlined their immediate plans. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, expected to lead the House Judiciary Committee, said Congress will use "every tool" to investigate ICE. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, expected to lead the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, vowed to take on DHS and ICE abuses, stating, "Lawyer Up."

Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, expected to lead the House Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding the agency comply with document preservation requirements. Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois wrote on social media that Noem, Miller, Homan, Bovino, and Mullin should clear their schedules. In response, DHS general counsel James Percival said Democrats are interested in "political shenanigans" but that the agency is prepared to deal with the situation.

Rachel Moran, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, noted that major changes like clawing back funding require a veto-proof majority, which Democrats do not have. The White House said if Democrats pursue "sham investigations," they are working against the American people. Moran said a deeper probe could still make evidence available for states to use in criminal investigations. Minnesota officials have fought the federal government to get evidence related to the Pretti and Good killings.

Brent Ganger, Renee Good's brother, said learning more about his sister's death will be hard to hear but important. "I don't want history to keep repeating itself," he said. He made biscuits and gravy, his sister's favorite breakfast, the morning after the election in his home in Colorado.