GOP Sen Johnson Tells Minnesota AG Ellison That He’s To Blame For Dead Protestors During Heated Hearing
A Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing erupted into sharp confrontation Thursday as Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) directly blamed Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) for the deaths of two individuals fatally shot during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
The exchange centered on the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed last month during what officials described as expanded immigration enforcement efforts under the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security had launched what it called its largest enforcement action in Minnesota following a federal probe into the alleged theft of billions of dollars tied to state social service programs.
Johnson argued that state officials, including Ellison, escalated tensions rather than cooperating with federal authorities. In pointed remarks during the hearing, Johnson said that if he were in Ellison’s position, he would have urged cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to de-escalate the situation.
“I, as a government official, would have said, ‘Back off. Let us work with ICE. Let’s cooperate with them. Let’s see if we can de-escalate this,’” Johnson stated. He then accused Ellison of doing “the exact opposite,” asserting that such actions contributed to the deadly outcome.
Ellison firmly rejected the accusation.
“Everything you said was untrue,” the attorney general responded. He characterized Johnson’s remarks as “a nice theatrical performance” but insisted they were “all lies.”
The hearing is part of an ongoing committee investigation into clashes between state officials and federal immigration authorities during the enforcement surge. Also testifying were Minnesota state House GOP Floor Leader Harry Niska and Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell.
Johnson pressed Ellison on additional allegations, including claims that paid protesters were active in Minneapolis and that state officials encouraged demonstrators to obstruct federal law enforcement operations. Ellison denied those claims as well, stating that his office consistently urged peaceful and safe protest.
“So, that never happened,” Ellison said. “We at times said, ‘if you want to protest, protest peacefully, protest safely.’”
The political and legal stakes surrounding the matter continue to rise. Ellison is reportedly among several state officials subpoenaed by the Justice Department over allegations of obstruction of justice tied to the enforcement actions.
Complicating matters further, Ellison argued that the immigration operation undermined a separate federal-state effort to investigate welfare fraud in Minnesota. According to Ellison, the surge diverted prosecutorial resources, contributing to the departure of experienced prosecutors and overwhelming remaining staff with habeas corpus petitions.
“The surge has hurt the fight against fraud,” Ellison testified.
Meanwhile, Trump administration border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security would conclude “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota. However, he made clear that ICE will maintain an operational presence in the state.