Local lawmakers are weighing in after federal immigration officers shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti last Saturday in Minneapolis.
While some lawmakers shared messages of anger and the need for a federal investigation, others voiced solidarity with ICE. Others have not responded.
Pretti’s death marked the third shooting involving U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, escalating protests and law enforcement presence after the killing of Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 7.
U.S. Sen. Todd Young
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) said he supports a full and transparent investigation into the events in Minneapolis.
“Congress has requested testimony from ICE, [Customs Border Protection], and [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] leaders in an open hearing, and they should testify soon,” Young said. “Law enforcement officers have a challenging job and deserve our support. Providing the American people with the full facts is an important part of maintaining public trust. We also need state and local officials to better cooperate with federal enforcement efforts. Let’s all work to lower the political temperature in the days to come.”
Other Republican lawmakers and governors have echoed Young’s call for a transparent investigation.
Rep. Matt Pierce
Indiana Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) expressed his anger and outrage over the “senseless killings” in Minneapolis. He said the Trump administration has “blatantly lied” about the killing of Pretti.
While the Department of Homeland Security called the agents’ actions self-defense and claimed Pretti was a terrorist, videos on social media, bystander testimonies and independent reviews from news outlets contradict that statement.
“You cannot continue to have a government that is oppressing people and then turns around and lies about it,” Pierce said.
Pierce said he wants Congress to step up by holding hearings and investigations into federal law enforcement agencies under the Trump administration.
“Congress has really got to get with the program and do something to get those people out of our communities, who are not really protecting anyone,” Pierce said. “They're actually creating chaos and they're killing people.”
In Indiana, Pierce said he’s campaigning against House Bill 1343 and a provision that allows the Indiana National Guard to create a military police force.
“Because I just think that with what we're seeing happening in Minneapolis, the last thing we want in Indiana is a paramilitary police force that the governor can deploy against particular communities that he may not like,” Pierce said.
The bill passed out of committee Jan. 22.
Sen. Shelli Yoder
Senate Minority Caucus Leader Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) said Pretti’s murder is “heartbreaking and it should stop every leader in this country in their tracks.”
“This is what happens when enforcement is built to escalate instead of to protect, when power grows faster than accountability and when restraint is treated as weakness,” Yoder said.
She said strong societies enforce their laws.
“Great societies enforce them with humanity, due process and respect for life,” Yoder said. “When those guardrails disappear, no community is safe because everyone who lives here is a Hoosier and every Hoosier deserves dignity, due process and protection.”
Yoder said this moment transcends party politics and demands “wisdom, not political theater.”
“We can protect public safety and uphold the law without abandoning humanity or the Constitution,” Yoder said. “Indiana must choose accountability over escalation and leadership over political posturing.”
U.S. Sen. Jim Banks
U.S. Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) has voiced his support of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. On social media, Banks said the DHS has deported over 675,000 people.
“Every Democrat who wants to defund or abolish ICE wants these violent criminals to stay in our communities,” Banks wrote on social media.
U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin
U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin (IN-9) weighed in on social media to supportICE.
— Congresswoman Erin Houchin (@RepHouchin) January 25, 2026
Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) and Sen. Eric Koch (R-Bedford) did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication. Indiana representatives Peggy Mayfield (R-Martinsville), Dave Hall (R-Norman) and Chris May (R-Bedford) did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
