‘An embarrassment:’ Democrats criticize Fetterman’s silence following ICE killings

Pa. Democrats are wondering where US Sen. John Fetterman is after a federal agent killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

This story was updated with a statement from US Sen. John Fetterman’s office. 

Ahead of a key vote to fund the federal government, with particular funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) remains the only Democrat in the US Senate to avoid issuing a statement condemning the agency after a federal agent shot and killed Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse with the Veterans Administration, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday. 

Pretti was the second Minneapolis resident to be shot and killed by a DHS or Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent this month while carrying out raids, and Fetterman’s silence on the issue is being noticed by others in his party. 

The Pennsylvania Working Families Party, which is recruiting candidates and volunteers to oust Fetterman in the 2028 primary, called the senior senator’s silence “embarrassing.” 

“Fetterman was one of just seven Democrats to vote for Kristi Noem to lead ICE,” the Pennsylvania Working Families Party said on X. 

“Now he’s the only Senate Democrat who won’t condemn this violent and reprehensible murder.”

Fetterman is also the only Democrat from Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to remain silent on Pretti’s death.

US House Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia), the ranking Democrat on the US House Budget Committee and rumored to be a potential Senate primary challenger in 2028, piled on with his own social media post blasting Fetterman. 

“How bad is this? Even our state’s Republican senator has released a statement on Pretti’s killing. Fetterman continues to be an embarrassment to PA,” Boyle said on X.

Fetterman has only posted once about immigration on social media since Renee Good was killed by an ICE Officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, and instead of acknowledging her death, Fetterman admonished protesters calling for ICE’s abolition. 

“Even Mayor Frey of Minneapolis doesn’t support abolishing ICE. The party must resist the destructive tendencies to push extreme positions,” Fetterman said. “Secure the border. Deport all the criminals. Stop targeting the hardworking migrants in our nation.”

Last summer, Fetterman defended ICE agents for “just doing their jobs” while carrying out contentious immigration raids across Los Angeles and Southern California. That clip is once again going viral after the deaths of Good and Pretti. 

“ICE agents are just doing their job and I fully support that,” Fetterman said at the time. 

“For me, people in my party might want to abolish it or treat them as criminals or anything, that’s inappropriate and outrageous. ICE performs an important job for our nation.”

Fetterman’s office provided a statement calling for an end to the federal operations in Minneapolis and removing DHS appropriations from an upcoming funding bill.

“I reject the calls to defund or abolish ICE. I strongly disagree with many strategies and practices ICE deployed in Minneapolis, and believe that must change,” Fetterman said in a statement.

I want a conversation on the DHS appropriations bill and support stripping it from the minibus.

“It is unlikely that will happen and our country will suffer another shutdown.