Senator Thom Tillis intensified criticism of United States Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller’s role in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement strategy, saying Miller’s actions have undermined federal efforts and contributed to confusion and controversy following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, said he sees Miller as sharing responsibility for missteps that have clouded the administration’s response to the incident and broader border policy. 

“I think Stephen Miller is in the same boat,” Tillis said when asked about Miller’s performance. “After making the comments he did about Greenland, putting the president in a difficult circumstance, he was one of the people who publicly called someone a terrorist before talking with anyone on the ground. That was clearly not the case. Stephen Miller never fails to live up to my expectations of incompetence.” 

GOP Sen. Thom Tillis:

“Stephen Miller never fails to live up to my expectations of incompetence”
pic.twitter.com/9fTWdFnJF7

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 28, 2026

Tillis’s remarks came as debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics has expanded beyond the shooting of Pretti, a 37‑year‑old ICU nurse who was killed by federal agents during an immigration operation in Minneapolis. The incident marked another fatality in “Operation Metro Surge,” a large federal immigration enforcement deployment that has drawn protests, bipartisan calls for investigation and leadership changes at the Department of Homeland Security. 

Federal officials initially portrayed Pretti as a threat during the confrontation, with Noem, Miller and other administration figures using strong language in the aftermath. United States Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller described Pretti as a “would‑be assassin” who “tried to murder federal law enforcement,” a characterization later called into question as video evidence and eyewitness accounts raised doubts about whether Pretti posed an imminent threat at the time he was shot.

A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists. https://t.co/UCFCE5p5J1

— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) January 24, 2026

When asked whether Miller should be fired, Tillis declined to make that demand directly, instead saying he would leave that decision to the president. “If I were president, neither one of them would be in Washington right now,” Tillis said, referring to both Miller and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. 

Tillis’s comments mirror his broader critique of Noem, whom he has also publicly faulted for mishandling leadership at DHS, including statements made immediately after Pretti’s death. His criticism comes amid growing political pressure on Noem: more than 100 House Democrats have co‑sponsored articles of impeachment against her, accusing her of obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust and mismanagement of enforcement operations. Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois, who introduced the resolution, said the rapid expansion of support reflects increasing scrutiny of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s tactics and Noem’s leadership.