Abbott: ICE should 'work from a different direction' following recent shootings
DALLAS - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the White House and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement need to "recalibrate" and work to regain trust after the latest shooting by ICE agents in Minnesota.
What they're saying:
"In general, we need to have respect for law enforcement officers in the country," Abbott said. "ICE, they are law enforcement officers. And so they, being the White House, need to recalibrate on what is being done to make sure that respect is going to be reinstilled."
Abbott made the comments on Dallas conservative radio host Mark Davis' show.
The governor said ICE regaining respect would not be an easy task under the current circumstances, but the agency needed to get back to their initial goal of removing people.
"I know they're working on a game plan to make sure that they are going to, let's say, recalibrate and maybe work from a different direction to ensure that they get back to what they wanted to do to begin with," Abbott said.
ICU nurse shot and killed by federal agents
The backstory:
The comments come following the shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent Saturday morning in Minneapolis. Pretti's shooting is the third involving federal agents in Minnesota this month.
Renee Good was fatally shot in Minneapolis by an ICE agent in south Minneapolis on Jan. 7.
Another man was shot in the leg by an ICE agent in north Minneapolis on Jan. 14, but survived.
Thousands of federal agents are in Minnesota as part of a larger targeted immigration enforcement effort known as ‘Operation Metro Surge.’
In a report to Congress, the Department of Homeland Security says two federal officers fired shots on Saturday during the encounter in south Minneapolis, according to the Associated Press.
Trump wants ‘honest investigation’ into Alex Pretti’s death
Following the death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, President Donald Trump has said that he wants to see a "very honorable and honest investigation" into the incident.
Abbott largely blamed Democratic leadership in Minnesota for the violence, particularly Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey claiming they are "inciting violence."
What they're saying:
"Your responsibility, your duty, is to use your office to make sure that there's going to be calm and order in your community," Abbott said. "That means tamping down the rhetoric, tamping down the anger your local residents feel and instead instill calm and order."
Rep. Ilhan Omar sprayed by syringe, man tackled during townhall event on ICE operations
Rep. Ilhan Omar was sprayed with a syringe full of liquid after being approached at the podium during a townhall meeting in north Minneapolis.
"This is truly the problem in Minnesota," Abbott said. "It's more about the lack of leadership, and the lack of calming and order by the governor, by the mayor, and candidly, I think they want it that way."
The other side:
Democrats have said ICE is operating lawlessly in Minnesota, with both of the state's senators expected to speak on the Senate floor Wednesday.
"I’m taking the Senate floor to share the story of what’s happening in Minnesota at the hands of ICE and CBP – but more importantly, I’ll be imploring my colleagues (regardless of party) to use our power to rein in ICE’s lawlessness," Sen. Tina Smith said in a post on social media.
The Source: Information in this article comes from comments made by Gov. Greg Abbott on Mark Davis' radio show. Information about the shootings by federal agents in Minnesota and comments made by leaders in Minnesota come from previous reporting.