Alex Pretti's Deadly Shooting By ICE In Minneapolis Pushes US Government Closer To Shutdown

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers, ICE, in Minnesota has intensified an already volatile standoff in Washington DC, bringing the United States closer to a fresh federal government shutdown and raising the spectre of military deployment under emergency powers.

A lede moment in a widening crisis

The death of Alex Pretti, which occurred during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation on Saturday, has sharpened Democratic resistance to funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just days before a critical budget deadline.

With US government funding set to expire on Friday, Senate Democrats are now under mounting pressure from their House colleagues and grassroots supporters to block appropriations for agencies overseeing immigration enforcement.

Immigration enforcement under scrutiny after fatal shooting

Alex Pretti's killing follows a series of controversial ICE actions in Minnesota, including the earlier fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis and a subsequent non-fatal shooting by immigration officers. Reports of agents detaining young children, arresting US citizens, and entering homes without judicial warrants have further inflamed tensions.

House Democrats argue that continued funding without reforms would amount to tacit approval of what they describe as unchecked and dangerous enforcement practices. One of the most prominent voices, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, called for immediate action, posting:“Senate Dems should block ICE funding this week. Activate the National Guard. We can and must stop this.”

Budget deadline looms as Senate weighs DHS funding

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed a series of appropriations bills, including funding for DHS, which oversees ICE and the Border Patrol. The Senate must approve the measures in a consolidated“minibus” package to avert a shutdown, following a temporary funding deal that ended the previous shutdown in November.

Several Senate Democrats have indicated they are prepared to withhold support. Chris Murphy, the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee overseeing the DHS budget, renewed his demand that funding be tied to structural reforms.“1. ICE must leave Minneapolis. 2. Congress should not fund this version of ICE – that is seeking confirmation, chaos and dystopia,” he wrote, adding later:“The Senate should not vote to keep funding this rampage. We are not powerless. We do not need to accept this.”

Other senators, including Elizabeth Warren, Mark Warner, Brian Schatz, Mark Kelly, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Jacky Rosen, have also signalled their willingness to block DHS funding.

Trump escalates rhetoric and hints at military deployment

President Donald Trump has responded to Alex Pretti's fatal shooting by accusing Minnesota's Democratic leadership of fomenting unrest. The US President blamed Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for demanding that immigration agents withdraw from the city, writing:“The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!”

The remarks fuelled speculation that Donald Trump may invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, a rarely used law that allows the deployment of active-duty troops within the United States. Two infantry battalions from the Army's 11th Airborne Division, based in Alaska and trained for arctic operations, were reportedly given prepare-to-deploy orders last week.

Earlier this month, Trump warned he would use the law“if the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don't obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job.” Although he later told reporters there was no need to invoke it“right now,” he added:“If I needed it, I'd use it.”

From budget impasse to constitutional confrontation in US Govt?

What began as a dispute over immigration enforcement has now evolved into a high-stakes confrontation spanning Congress, the White House, and state authorities. Should the Senate block DHS funding, the federal government could shut down again within days. If the president moves to deploy troops, the conflict would likely escalate into a constitutional battle over federal authority, civil liberties, and the limits of executive power.

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