Republican Senator Demands Noem’s Resignation After Minneapolis Shooting

A Republican senator is calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign after the fatal shooting of Minnesota ICU nurse Alex Pretti during a federal immigration raid. The backlash is now reaching the highest levels of Congress — and coming from inside Noem’s own party.

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina didn’t hesitate when asked if Noem should keep her job.
“I think she should go,” Tillis said Tuesday. “What she’s done in Minnesota is disqualifying. She should be out of a job. It’s just amateurish.”

His comments mark one of the sharpest Republican rebukes of a Trump administration official in recent years.

The deadly confrontation unfolded during a sweeping immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Federal agents opened fire on 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who had been filming the operation on his cellphone. A second civilian, Renee Nicole Good, was also killed during the same enforcement surge.

Witnesses say Pretti was pepper-sprayed and tackled before being shot multiple times. A trauma doctor who attempted to treat him later said responders were “counting bullet wounds instead of doing CPR.” The detail ignited widespread outrage online and fueled accusations of federal overreach.

Pretti’s sister publicly slammed officials for “twisting the truth” about her brother.
“When does this end?” she asked in a viral video statement. “My brother deserved better.”

Several top Democrats warned that Noem must resign — or President Donald Trump must fire her — or they will begin impeachment proceedings.

Party leaders say the shootings reflect a pattern of “reckless leadership” inside the Department of Homeland Security. One senior Democrat said the federal actions in Minnesota were “a breakdown in judgment at every level,” and warned that Congress is prepared to act.

Tillis has become one of the rare Republicans willing to publicly criticize the Trump administration. He previously dismissed Trump’s push to buy Greenland as “stupid,” and said the former president’s Davos speech was “an opportunity missed.”

His willingness to break ranks hints at growing unease within the GOP about Noem’s management style, which critics describe as “combative,” “unchecked,” and “politically driven.”

A longtime Republican strategist put it bluntly:
“Tillis said what many in the party are thinking but won’t say out loud. The Minnesota fallout is becoming a crisis.”

President Trump has defended Noem in public but acknowledged that the deaths of Pretti and Good were “terrible tragedies.” He also insisted that any personnel changes in Minnesota would not signal weakness, calling them “necessary adjustments.”

Privately, aides say Trump is aware of the political cost if the crisis escalates — especially with bipartisan pressure mounting.

What began as a regional immigration operation has become a national debate about government power, accountability, and the limits of federal force on American soil.

Congressional committees are preparing for emergency hearings. Civil rights groups are demanding an independent investigation. And both parties are bracing for more fallout as new details emerge.