FRESNO, Calif, (KFSN) — Amid fallout over the killing of Alex Pretti in Minnesota last weekend, Valley lawmakers are pressing for answers.
“I think this gives an opportunity for serious and sweeping reforms within (the) Department of Homeland Security,” Fresno Democratic Congressman Jim Costa told Action News.
He is calling for a full investigation.
The shooting was captured on camera and has been widely shared.
Pretti appears to record federal agents as they make an arrest. The incident then escalated as agents pepper-sprayed Pretti and wrestled him to the ground. His legally carried gun never appeared to leave his waistband.
“The Department of Homeland Security says he was a domestic terrorist. Do you see that?” Action News asked Costa.
“No,” he said. “When the ICE officer knocked the woman down, he went to her assistance and asked, ‘Are you all right?'”
Republicans view it differently.
Congressman Vince Fong of Clovis wrote in a statement to Action News that what he has seen in Minneapolis “…has moved beyond peaceful into confrontation.”
Fong, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, is echoing the president’s “…call for a full investigation into this weekend’s tragic incident…” He went on to write that he supports “…the committee’s request for an oversight hearing with ICE, CBP, and USCIS.”
“I think the administration is clearly trying to engage in damage control, number one,” Costa said.
The White House is now bracing for a partial government shutdown. Senate Democrats are threatening to block a funding package after the House approved support for the Department of Homeland Security last week.
RELATED: DHS report says 2 agents fired weapons in Alex Pretti shooting
“I’ve always been on the Appropriations Committee,” Hanford Republican David Valadao said on Capitol Hill last week. “This is the type of day we dream of.”
Valadao celebrated the government spending bills that include funds for DHS, including money allocated to the TSA, Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection.
He did not respond to Action News’ request for an interview on Tuesday.
“Appropriations is not easy work, and it’s not meant to be,” he said last week. “It requires compromise, member-driven leadership, and commitment to getting the job done, and getting the job done the right way.”
Costa hopes senators can reach an agreement to keep the government open.
“They could pass the remainder of the appropriation bills and put the Immigration Customs and Enforcement Agency in a separate criteria,” he said.
Congressman Fong’s Full Statement:
“As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I take the safety of our communities and our federal law enforcement officers seriously. In line with President Trump’s call for a full investigation into this weekend’s tragic incident, I support the committee’s request for an oversight hearing with ICE, CBP, and USCIS.
All Americans deserve to exercise their constitutional right to peaceful protest. What we have seen in Minneapolis, however, has moved beyond peaceful into confrontation. Obstruction of law enforcement escalates danger for both officers and the public. I encourage Minnesota officials to act as partners, not obstacles, to federal law enforcement. These partnerships are critical to keeping our communities safe which is why sanctuary state and city policies are so tremendously dangerous. Demonizing the men and women of our law enforcement only serves to undermine public safety.
I will continue to pursue accountability rooted in facts – not speculation or political rhetoric – so that we can uphold both our nation’s laws and our Constitutional freedoms.”
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