Two Minnesota Citizens Killed... Even U.S. Conservatives Criticize Aggressive Immigration Enforcement

Gun Rights Groups Join in Criticizing Trump Administration
Republican Lawmakers Also Call for "Transparent Investigation"

Yonhap News Agency

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a U.S. citizen was killed in a shooting by a federal immigration enforcement officer. As a prosecutor from the Department of Justice justified the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), criticism of the Donald Trump administration has been spreading even among conservative circles.

On January 25 (local time), gun rights advocacy groups publicly criticized the federal government's stance regarding the death of a protester in Minneapolis.

They took issue with a post made the previous day by Bill Essaily, a federal prosecutor with the Department of Justice, who wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "If you approach law enforcement officers while armed, there is a very high likelihood that it will be legally justified for them to shoot you. Don't do it!"

The National Rifle Association (NRA) shared Prosecutor Essaily's post on its official X account, stating, "This kind of thinking is dangerous and wrong." The association continued, "Responsible public officials should not demonize law-abiding citizens, but should wait for the results of the full investigation."

The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus also issued an official statement, saying, "According to local authorities, the deceased was a lawful gun owner and held a carry permit," and pointed out, "We have yet to receive an independent explanation as to what caused the use of deadly force."

Key Republican politicians also spoke out about the incident. Bill Cassidy, U.S. Senator from Louisiana, wrote on X the previous day, "What happened in Minneapolis is incredibly shocking," and noted, "The credibility of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security is now at risk."

Tom Tillis, U.S. Senator from North Carolina, also emphasized, "A thorough and fair investigation must be conducted into the shooting that occurred yesterday in Minneapolis," adding that this is a fundamental principle that both law enforcement and the American public expect following any use-of-force incident.

He further stated, "In this case, cooperation and transparency between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies are necessary," and added, "If there are administration officials making premature judgments or attempting to cover up the investigation before it even begins, this would do tremendous harm to the nation and to President Donald Trump's legacy."