San Diego congressional representatives and other elected officials spoke about what needs to happen after a second Minnesotan was killed by federal agents over the weekend.
Among them, they condemned the actions by agents and called for the impeachment of Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Others called for the abolition of ICE and the prosecution of the agents involved.
“I saw it, and I saw it from many different angles. It was murder. I mean, there's nothing else to say about it. That was murder,” Rep. Juan Vargas, D-CA, said in an interview with KPBS. “It was cold-blooded murder. There was no excuse for that.”
“I saw the video like everybody else. And then I saw the statements that were made … and there's just no correlation between what you see on that video from multiple angles and the claims being made by the administration,” Rep. Mike Levin, D-CA, said in an interview with KPBS.
“They're not protecting the public at all. I mean, they're shooting the public,” Vargas said. “They're causing chaos and mayhem everywhere. It's just the opposite of what a police force, a law enforcement agency, should be doing.”
A second killing
Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents on Saturday in Minneapolis.
Pretti was an ICU nurse who worked at the VA medical center in Minneapolis. He was one of several thousand Minnesotans who have been legally observing federal immigration agents in the city — like Renee Good, who was also shot and killed by a federal agent.
In a press conference on Sunday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called for the removal of federal agents from Minneapolis and said the state will conduct its own investigation.
“Minnesota’s justice system will have the last word on this. It must have the last word,” Walz said.
Reps want Noem out
Representatives Levin and Vargas both renewed calls to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Noem claimed that the federal agents were acting in self-defense. Video of the killing directly contradicts that claim.
“I felt that a Rubicon was crossed over the weekend and that we have to call for the impeachment of Noem, and she has to be removed or has to leave on her own volition,” Levin said. “If she refuses to do so, she needs to be impeached by the Congress and removed.”
“I think that (Noem) must be impeached. I mean, I think what she's done is horrible. I think it's impeachable,” Vargas said. “And I have to say, I hate to say this, but she's an idiot. She's a total idiot.”
And while both representatives noted the political challenge impeachment poses when Republicans control both houses of Congress, they were resolute on the necessity.
“I'm not trying to be, you know, unrealistic here, but we have to use every tool we have. The founders gave us impeachment as a tool,” Levin said. “And, you know, for my Republican colleagues, that claim to care about law and order or claim to care about the rule of law. Where are they now?”
Other leaders react
Other local leaders, including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, strongly condemned the shooting as well.
“The federal government claims its enforcement actions make us safer. It doesn’t. It’s a reckless, lawless campaign terrorizing our cities, and it has now cost another life. San Diego condemns it. We will never accept this as normal,” Gloria said in a social media post on Saturday.
On Monday, Gloria said San Diego “will not cooperate” with President Trump’s requests to end sanctuary city policies.
In a statement, San Diego city council member Sean Elo-Rivera called to abolish ICE and prosecute the agents responsible for these shootings.
“Moreover, the enforcement agents who work for the agencies terrorizing our country should be barred from ever working for the City of San Diego,” Elo-Rivera’s statement said.
County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre published a video on Instagram denouncing ICE's actions as "aggressive, unprofessional and unconstitutional."
“This has to stop. ICE and CBP’s violent actions in our communities threaten our safety and our freedoms," she said in the video. "This violence is unconstitutional tyranny from (President) Trump’s government. It’s intolerable and completely unacceptable."
And County Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer ordered flags to be lowered to half-mast in recognition of the two Americans killed by federal agents.
“Lowering the flag today reflects mourning and real alarm,” Lawson-Remer’s statement said. “Deadly federal enforcement combined with impeded oversight is a constitutional breakdown that communities across the country cannot ignore.”
Calls to curb funding for ICE
On Friday last week, San Diego’s Democratic congressional delegation voted against more funding for DHS.
“We need to continue to champion accountability and safety for all. We cannot do that when ICE is terrorizing our neighborhoods and ripping families apart. That’s why I voted NO to increased funding for ICE and have introduced legislation to stop their excessive use of force,” Rep. Peters, D-CA, said in a social media post.
Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-CA, sent a statement to KPBS on Monday. “I’m devastated for the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good and the entire city of Minneapolis. A dystopian nightmare is now their reality: ICE and Border Patrol are executing American citizens, detaining and deporting little kids, and ignoring human rights and the rule of law. We need to get justice for Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Liam Ramos, and everyone who's been victimized, assaulted, and killed by ICE and Border Patrol.
“Last week, I proudly voted against DHS’s budget — and I urge every Senator to do the same. But we also need systemic change, starting with the impeachment of Secretary Noem and the overhaul and dismantlement of ICE and Border Patrol. These agencies have completely lost sight of their mandate and lost the trust of the American people, and cannot continue to exist in their current form.”
Rep. Darrell Issa, San Diego County’s Republican congressman, did not respond to requests for comment on the situation.
California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff said Senate Democrats will not vote for a spending package that includes more money for immigration enforcement.
The deadline for Congress to pass a funding bill and avoid a government shutdown is Jan. 30. Just last fall, the government shut down for the longest time in US history as Democratic lawmakers tried to get Republicans to agree to an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.
