In one of the most surprising political reversals in recent memory, Republican support for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement has surged following the federal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, with conservative lawmakers and voters embracing what was recently a left-wing rallying cry.
"Abolish ICE" was a signature slogan of progressive Democrats like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during the first Trump administration, routinely mocked by Republicans as radical and anti-law enforcement. But the death of Pretti — a legal gun owner and military veteran shot by federal agents during a protest — has triggered a fundamental realignment, particularly among libertarian-leaning conservatives who view ICE's current tactics as federal overreach.
Multiple Republican state legislators in Minnesota have now called for dismantling or dramatically reforming ICE, with some echoing the exact language that conservative media spent years denouncing. The shift reflects a deeper tension within the Republican coalition between pro-law enforcement instincts and anti-federal government ideology.
"This isn't about immigration policy anymore," said one Republican state representative who requested anonymity to speak candidly. "This is about whether we're going to let federal agents operate in our communities like an occupying army. That's not what we signed up for."
Chris Madel, a Republican candidate for Minnesota governor, went even further, ending his gubernatorial campaign rather than remain in a party that he said was tolerating federal "retribution" against his state. His decision to walk away from the race rather than defend current ICE tactics sent shockwaves through state GOP circles.
The libertarian wing of the Republican Party has long harbored suspicions about federal law enforcement agencies, dating back to incidents like Ruby Ridge and Waco in the 1990s. Those concerns had largely remained dormant during discussions of immigration enforcement, but the Minneapolis shooting appears to have reactivated deeper fears about federal power.
Conservative commentators have noted the irony: the Squad's "Abolish ICE" has become a Minnesota GOP position. But many Republican critics of ICE argue there's nothing inconsistent about supporting immigration enforcement while opposing an agency they view as operating outside constitutional constraints and state sovereignty.
The shift is most pronounced in Minnesota, where even pro-Trump Republicans are questioning ICE's tactics. Local GOP officials note that many Republican voters own guns and worry that if federal agents can shoot a legal concealed carry holder at a protest, they could face similar treatment.
National Republican leadership has largely remained silent on the issue, caught between a base that demands tough immigration enforcement and growing anger over federal agents' conduct. Former President Trump initially defended the agents but has reportedly expressed private concerns about the political fallout in key swing states.
Democratic strategists are watching the Republican Party's internal conflict with interest. If significant numbers of conservative voters embrace opposition to ICE, it could reshape the immigration debate beyond the traditional left-right paradigm, creating strange-bedfellow coalitions between progressive civil liberties advocates and libertarian conservatives.
As Americans like to say, "all politics is local"—even in the nation's capital. And in Minnesota, local politics now means Republicans and Democrats finding rare common ground in questioning an agency that many view as out of control.
Several Republican senators have stopped short of calling for abolishing ICE but have demanded major reforms, investigations, and accountability. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina warned against attempts to "shut down an investigation before it begins," while Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana emphasized that "the credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake."
Whether this Republican embrace of "Abolish ICE" rhetoric will outlast the current crisis remains to be seen. But the speed with which conservative lawmakers and voters have adopted progressive talking points suggests that the Minneapolis shooting has fundamentally altered the politics of federal law enforcement in ways that neither party fully anticipated.
