WASHINGTON –
A second fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis has thrust President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown deeper into the national political spotlight, forcing Republicans to defend the administration’s hard-line tactics while motivating Democrats, who see it as an urgent election-year issue.
Federal officers have killed two U.S. citizens in the city this month — among them ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday — during clashes with protesters angered by the administration’s sweeping enforcement surge.
The top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Chuck Schumer, said his party would vote against funding legislation that includes money for the Homeland Security Department that oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal immigration agency. Congress faces a Jan. 30 deadline to fund the government or risk a partial government shutdown.