Senator Mark Kelly weighed in on the fatal Minneapolis shooting with a harsh condemnation of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics, saying the federal response is making communities less safe, not more.

“Another person in Minneapolis is dead at the hands of federal law enforcement,” Kelly said. “What this Administration is doing isn’t making communities any safer. It’s doing the opposite and creating chaos in the streets. It has to stop now.”

Another person in Minneapolis is dead at the hands of federal law enforcement. What this Administration is doing isn’t making communities any safer. It’s doing the opposite and creating chaos in the streets. It has to stop now.

— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) January 24, 2026

Kelly’s statement adds to the growing chorus of Democratic criticism following the shooting, which federal officials say occurred after Border Patrol agents were approached by an armed individual during a targeted operation. The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that agents fired in self-defense after the suspect resisted attempts to disarm him, while video from the scene and statements from local leaders have fueled accusations of excessive force and a lack of accountability.

The suspect reportedly shot dead by federal agents today in Minneapolis drew a gun on them and defensive shots were fired, authorities say

Nonetheless, expect increased unrest in the Twin Cities starting immediately

Monitoring the situation . . .
pic.twitter.com/quELjjtAxA

— Border Hawk (@BorderHawkNews) January 24, 2026

Kelly’s response stands in sharp contrast to remarks from United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who publicly praised ICE agents and condemned Minnesota’s political leadership, framing federal officers as “patriots” who are “saving the country” and blaming state and local officials for the unrest. Where Hegseth has offered unequivocal support for federal enforcement and criticized protesters as “lunatics,” Kelly has focused on the human cost of the operation and warned that aggressive tactics are escalating, rather than calming, tensions.

Thank God for the patriots of @ICEgov — we have your back 100%. You are SAVING the country.

Shame on the leadership of Minnesota — and the lunatics in the street.

ICE > MN

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 24, 2026

The divide is especially notable given Kelly’s background. A retired Navy captain and former astronaut, Kelly serves on the Senate Armed Forces Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and receives a military pension for his service. He has repeatedly argued that strong national security does not require unchecked force at home, a position that has already put him on a collision course with Hegseth in recent weeks over civil-military norms, constitutional rights, and the limits of executive power.

In the context of Minneapolis, Kelly’s remarks underscore a broader political fault line: whether the federal government’s expanded immigration enforcement represents necessary law-and-order policy or a destabilizing presence that is eroding public trust and civil liberties. As reactions continue to pour in from across the political spectrum, the contrast between Kelly’s warning about “chaos in the streets” and Hegseth’s full-throated defense of ICE highlights just how polarized the national response to the shooting has become.