Senator Chris Van Hollen issued a brutal condemnation of the Trump administration following the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis resident by federal law enforcement agents on Saturday, framing the White House as directly responsible for the tragedy.
In his statement, Van Hollen declared, “The real ‘domestic terrorists’ are in the White House,” referring to President Donald Trump and senior officials, including former Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller. He highlighted that the victim, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, was a law-abiding U.S. citizen and an ICU nurse at the VA who was licensed to carry a firearm. Van Hollen said, “Trump & Miller are responsible for his killing & are now lying to the American people,” emphasizing that the administration’s policies and enforcement tactics were the direct cause of the incident.
The real “domestic terrorists” are in the White House.
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) January 24, 2026
The victim, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, was reportedly a law abiding US citizen & an ICU nurse at the VA. He was licensed to carry a firearm.
Trump & Miller are responsible for his killing & are now lying to the American people. https://t.co/30VWgRqF9I
The shooting occurred during a targeted operation in Minneapolis conducted by DHS law enforcement officers against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the suspect approached U.S. Border Patrol agents with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and resisted when officers attempted to disarm him. Fearing for their lives, agents fired defensive shots, and the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. DHS noted that the suspect had two additional magazines and no identification, characterizing the individual as posing a serious threat.
Reuters reported that local authorities identified the man as a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident who was believed to be a U.S. citizen and a lawful gun owner with no criminal record. Video circulating online showed the suspect wrestled by law enforcement on a snow-covered street before shots were fired. The incident drew criticism from local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who called for an immediate end to federal immigration enforcement operations in the state, stating, “How many more residents, how many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?”
Today, we lost another Minneapolis neighbor after multiple ICE agents pummeled him and shot him to death.
— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) January 24, 2026
How many more people need to die or get shot before this ends?
President Trump, I am calling on you to put the American people and this American city first & get ICE out. pic.twitter.com/iGkziVRPUI
By highlighting the victim’s lawful status and profession as a VA nurse, Van Hollen sought to underscore the human cost of what he described as reckless federal enforcement and to contrast the administration’s rhetoric with the realities on the ground in Minneapolis. His statement situates the Minneapolis incident within broader national debates over immigration enforcement, public safety, and the accountability of federal law enforcement under the Trump administration.
