Our most recent book is The Comeback: The 2024 Elections and American Politics. The second Trump administration has been full of ominous developments. The DHS killing of a disarmed man is among the worst.
Alexander Rossell Hayes at YouGov:
After federal immigration agents on Saturday shot and killed a Minneapolis resident for the second time this month, more Americans now say they would support abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) than say they would oppose eliminating the agency. A majority of Americans say ICE's tactics are too forceful and about half say they strongly disapprove of the way the agency is handling its job, according to a YouGov Poll conducted hours after the shooting. More Americans approve than disapprove of protests against ICE. Because the poll was conducted so soon after the shooting in Minneapolis, some respondents who were not aware of the news when they answered the questions might hear about it in subsequent days.
Another poll conducted the day after the shooting found that about half of Americans say the shooting Saturday of Alex Pretti was not justified, while only 20% said it was justified. The gap is even larger among Americans who have seen video of the shooting, nearly two-thirds of whom say it was not justified. While ICE has been the subject of protests since the first killing in Minneapolis — of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross — the shooter in this case worked for the Border Patrol, another agency in the Department of Homeland Security that was supporting ICE's operations in the city. Americans' opinions toward the Border Patrol are not as negative as views of ICE, though Americans who have seen video of the killing are more likely to have an unfavorable than a favorable opinion of the Border Patrol.
These latest results show an increase in opposition to ICE compared to two YouGov polls fielded earlier in January after the killing of Good. At that point, support for abolishing ICE was already at the highest level ever observed in YouGov polls.
The issue is splitting the GOP base. Christopher Cann at USA Today:
Several prominent Second Amendment rights groups have blasted federal officials for suggesting it's dangerous – and possibly an indication of mal intent – for lawful gun owners to protest while in possession of their legally obtained firearms.
The controversy came after a Border Patrol agent on Jan. 24 shot and killed Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and registered Veterans Affairs nurse, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Federal officials said Pretti had a gun and intended to "kill law enforcement." But videos and a witness account in federal court show Pretti holding a phone, not brandishing a firearm.
Hours after the fatal shooting, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli in Southern California took to X and said, "If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don’t do it!" Other members of the Trump administration argued peaceful protesters don't show up with guns.
Several prominent gun rights groups took issue with Essayli's statement, including the National Rifle Association.
"This sentiment from the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California is dangerous and wrong," the NRA said on X. "Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens."
Gun Owners for America said in a statement that its leaders "condemn the untoward comments" by Essayli.
"Federal agents are not 'highly likely' to be 'legally justified' in 'shooting' concealed carry licensees who approach while lawfully carrying a firearm," the group said. "The Second Amendment protects Americans' right to bear arms while protesting — a right the federal government must not infringe upon."
U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, also blasted Essayli's comments, writing on X: "Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a Constitutionally protected God-given right, and if you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government."
