Federal Law Enforcement Oversight

Sen. Lindsey Graham pushed back at Sen. Thom Tillis for criticizing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and White House adviser Stephen Miller after they labeled Alex Pretti a "domestic terrorist," saying Miller's support from President Trump is "rock solid" and praising his role for the administration. Those early characterizations were made before an incident report and remain unsubstantiated, drawing bipartisan criticism and putting Trump in a delicate position as he defends Noem, promises a thorough investigation, and faces intra‑GOP disagreement over whether Pretti’s possession of a firearm justified the federal agents’ use of deadly force.

FBI Director Kash Patel urged the public and media not to “cement a false narrative” and to remain calm while the FBI and DHS, working with state and local partners, investigate two killings involving ICE and Border Patrol agents in Minnesota and review Signal group chats that share agents’ movements — involvement the bureau says is limited to instances where users incite violence or threaten officers. Patel also disclosed the FBI arrested four people for vandalizing an FBI vehicle and stealing sensitive information used to threaten agents and their families, and that the bureau led actions charging protesters with federal FACE Act violations after anti‑ICE demonstrators stormed a Minnesota church.