George W. Bush Under Fire as Only Living President Who Hasn’t Condemned ICE Shootings

Former President George W. Bush is facing a wave of outrage. He has become the only living former commander-in-chief who has refused to speak out. He has not commented on the two fatal ICE shootings that rocked Minneapolis this month. As protests spread nationwide and President Trump defends his expanded immigration raids, Bush’s silence has become a flashpoint for critics who say the Republican elder statesman “helped build the machine that’s now killing Americans.”

The two victims — ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, and Minneapolis mother Renee Good, also 37 — were killed in separate encounters with ICE agents during Operation Metro Surge, a federal crackdown launched by Trump in early January. The deaths have ignited a political firestorm that no former president has ignored—except one.

“Every other president, from Obama to Clinton, even Carter, has said something,” Minneapolis civil rights organizer Lila Moreno said. “Bush created DHS. He knows exactly where this escalation came from. His silence speaks louder than a statement ever could.”

Bush’s connection to the controversy is deeper than many younger Americans realize. After the 9/11 attacks, it was Bush who created the Department of Homeland Security—folding immigration enforcement into counterterrorism strategy. Supporters at the time called it “necessary modernization.” Critics warned it blurred the lines between immigration enforcement and military-style policing.

“Everything changed after 9/11,” said Dr. Martin Keene, a political historian at the University of Washington. “Bush reframed immigration as a national security threat. Today’s ICE culture — raids, militarized gear, tactical operations — that pipeline started in 2002.”

Even Bush himself struck a different tone in later years. In a 2011 interview, he said, “We are a land of immigrants. America’s soul is rejuvenated when people come here and work hard to realize dreams.”

But in 2026, as ICE fatally shoots two American citizens on U.S. soil, his once-softened stance has vanished.

Across social media, Bush’s refusal to comment has triggered fury.

“He’ll never talk,” one user wrote. “Not about this, not about anything.”

“Don’t expect anything from wishy-washy Bush,” another commented. A third was even more direct: “He was a disappointment as president and he’s even worse now. His admin started all this.”

On Minneapolis streets, protesters waved signs reading: “Say Their Names” and “Bush Knew What He Created.”

In a sharply worded statement on Tuesday, former President Joe Biden condemned the killings. He has largely stayed out of the spotlight since leaving office. He also condemned the Trump administration’s role in escalating ICE’s authority.

“What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values,” Biden wrote on X. “We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street.”

He continued, “We are not a nation that allows our citizens to be brutalized for exercising their rights. We are not a nation that tramples the 4th Amendment and terrorizes our neighbors.”

Biden’s statement also praised Minnesotans for showing “what it means to be American when our government forgets.”

He added, “Violence and terror have no place in America — especially when they come from our own government.”

Biden urged a “full, fair, transparent investigation” into both deaths. He noted that community trust in federal law enforcement has been “shattered.”

“Jill and I are sending strength to the families who loved Alex Pretti and Renee Good,” he wrote. “We all mourn their senseless deaths.”

Local leaders say the political response from former presidents matters. America is watching. Those who shaped the system are being observed to see if they will now help restrain it.

“Bush could help dial this down with one sentence,” Minneapolis council member Jerome Fields said. “Instead, he’s pretending he has no responsibility at all. That’s not leadership. That’s avoidance.”

For now, the backlash continues to grow — and the silence from America’s 43rd president only gets louder.