Trump Calls For 'Softer Touch' After Minneapolis Killings
Trump said his administration could use 'a softer touch' after federal agents fatally shot Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in January 2026.
Overview
President Donald Trump said in an Oval Office interview with Tom Llamas on Feb. 4, 2026, that his administration could use "a softer touch" in immigration enforcement.
Trump's comment followed the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in January 2026, and video footage of the incidents contradicted some initial administration accounts, according to reporting.
Border czar Tom Homan announced on Feb. 4, 2026, that he ordered the withdrawal of 700 immigration agents from Minneapolis to "de-escalate" the situation, officials said.
About 2,000 immigration agents remain deployed in Minneapolis after the partial withdrawal, officials confirmed.
Advocates and some Republican lawmakers said they will press for congressional oversight of the Minneapolis operation, according to reporting.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the coverage as critical of Trump by using evaluative language (e.g., "feud", "scheduling nightmare", "huge uncertainty"), prioritizing critical voices (local officials, orchestra members), emphasizing contradictions between official claims and video, and structuring pieces to foreground consequences and accountability rather than neutral description.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother of three, was killed by a federal immigration officer on January 7, 2026, while in her Honda Pilot on a residential street. DHS claimed self-defense after she allegedly tried to ram agents, but local officials disputed this.[1]
On January 24, 2026, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old VA nurse, was shot multiple times by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis' Whittier neighborhood while observing protests and directing traffic. DHS claimed he had a firearm; he had a lawful permit.[3]
In a February 4, 2026, Oval Office interview, Trump stated his administration could use 'a softer touch' in immigration enforcement following the Minneapolis shootings.
Border czar Tom Homan ordered the withdrawal of 700 immigration agents from Minneapolis on February 4, 2026, to de-escalate, leaving about 2,000 agents deployed.
Polling shows 62% view Pretti's shooting as unjustified, 60% want ICE out of Minneapolis, 58% call for DHS Secretary Noem's removal, and 91% support body cameras for agents. Brothers testified on Capitol Hill; advocates seek oversight.[2]
History
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