Senators Press ICE, CBP Chiefs: We Didn’t Advise Noem on Calling Pretti a “Domestic Terrorist”
WASHINGTON — At a sharply contested Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing Thursday, senior U.S. immigration officials denied they ever informed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that Alex Pretti or Renee Good were “domestic terrorists,” even as Noem herself made that claim in the aftermath of their deaths.
Lawmakers pressed Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott on the organizations’ role in evaluating the Minneapolis incidents that left two U.S. citizens fatally shot during federal immigration enforcement operations. Lyons was asked outright whether his agency had given Noem any domestic-terrorism assessment of Pretti. “To my knowledge, no,” Lyons replied.
Sen. Gary Peters and others confronted the officials about why Noem publicly labeled Pretti a domestic terrorist while testifying on television soon after the incident drew national attention. Both Lyons and Scott said they could not explain her comments and declined to speculate on her reasoning, repeatedly citing ongoing investigations.
The exchanges reflected growing tension between political narratives from the top of the Department of Homeland Security and operational perspectives from agency leaders tasked with enforcement and oversight. Alongside questioning about terrorism labels, senators probed the use of force and body-camera footage from the Minneapolis actions, which authorities pledge to release.
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Lyons also told senators ICE does not maintain a database of “domestic terrorists” nor was involved in contributing such designations, a point he reiterated when asked about agency information sharing. Scott echoed that he could not explain why Noem chose the term she did.
Why it matters — Noem’s “domestic terrorist” characterization drew sharp bipartisan criticism and national headlines, prompting White House officials to distance themselves from the description. The hearing underscored persistent questions about federal law enforcement oversight, transparency, and how top officials communicate about violent confrontations involving U.S. citizens.
What happens next — law enforcement agencies are expected to complete investigations into the shootings. Noem and other DHS officials are also expected to testify further before Congress in coming weeks.
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