Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she is “just doing my job” as pressure mounts over two fatal shootings in Minneapolis involving federal immigration officers, including one incident she initially defended before later acknowledging conflicting evidence, as reported by The New York Post.
Noem made the remarks Thursday during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, as bipartisan criticism intensified following the deaths of two American protesters opposed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Minnesota.
“These radicals are attacking me, but I’m just doing my job,” Noem said on Hannity.
“I’m following the law, enforcing the laws, like President Trump promised that he would do to keep people safe in this country. We’re going to continue to go after these criminals, we’re going to remove them before they have the chance to murder more Americans.”
The controversy centers on the April shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse who was shot nearly 10 times by two federal immigration officers during a confrontation in Minneapolis.
Noem initially defended the Border Patrol agents, saying Pretti confronted officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, prompting them to open fire out of fear for their lives.
Video later released from the scene showed Pretti approaching agents while holding only his phone. He was pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the ground by multiple officers.
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Moments before gunfire erupted, one officer removed Pretti’s legally owned Sig Sauer pistol from his waistband.
Investigators with the Department of Homeland Security believe an errant round from Pretti’s pistol—after it was taken from him—may have triggered the agents to open fire, killing him.
Noem had previously labeled Pretti a domestic terrorist attempting to “kill law enforcement.”
Addressing the shifting narrative, Noem told Hannity that her initial statements were based on preliminary reports.
“I know you realize that situation was very chaotic, and that we were being relayed information from on the ground, from CBP agents and officers that were there,” she said.
“We were using the best information we had at the time, seeking to be transparent with the American people and get them what we knew to be true on the ground.”
She added, “We will continue to follow the investigation that the FBI is leading and giving them all the information that they need to bring that to the conclusion and make sure that the American people know the truth of the situation and how we can go forward and continue to protect the American people.”
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Noem Defends DHS After Minneapolis Shooting — Says Chaos Fueled Fast Federal Response
In an interview on Fox News’ Hannity on Jan. 29, 2026, Homeland Security Secretary **Kristi Noem pushed back hard against criticism over her department’s rapid… pic.twitter.com/ZmqGzI6BMf
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Pretti’s death marked the second fatal shooting involving federal immigration officers in Minnesota in less than three weeks during the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement.
On Jan. 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, after authorities said she rammed her vehicle into him. She was also labeled a domestic terrorist by federal officials.
The two shootings sparked widespread protests across the state, with local and national officials urging Donald Trump to withdraw ICE from Minnesota to reduce tensions.
The White House publicly defended Noem, who reportedly met with Trump for two hours in the Oval Office alongside her top DHS aide Corey Lewandowski.
As unrest continued, Trump dispatched Tom Homan to Minnesota, sidelining Noem’s direct involvement. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino was ordered to return home from the state.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, who had also described Pretti as an “assassin,” later acknowledged that agents “may not have been following” proper protocol, saying his earlier comments were based on reports from officers on the ground.
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