Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) called for the removal of two prominent Department of Homeland Security officials on Sunday, citing the recent Minneapolis shooting involving the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Pritzker compared Wednesday’s shooting in Minneapolis to two shootings in Chicago involving ICE, one of which saw authorities shoot someone attempting to flee a traffic stop in September 2025. Similar to the Minneapolis shooting involving victim Renee Good, DHS said the Chicago shooting victim, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, attempted to use his vehicle as a weapon, prompting ICE agents to act in self-defense.
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The Illinois governor said whenever an ICE-related shooting happens, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin will issue statements “within minutes” to clarify what happened. However, he said eyewitnesses who come forward afterward will provide new information on the Chicago shootings showing “ICE was at fault.”
“Now we‘re seeing it in Minneapolis, we‘re seeing the shooting in Portland and elsewhere. They are, ICE and CBP, are breaking their own protocols. You read them earlier, their own protocols, and not only roughing people up but literally shooting at people and killing them when in some cases they’re U.S. citizens and they‘re doing nothing wrong. So this is why I have said that the president is not following the law, why Kristi Noem needs to resign or be impeached, and why Tricia McLaughlin should not have the job that she has. She‘s a pathological liar,” Pritzker said on CNN’s State of the Union.
Pritzker also said that protesters need to “keep the violence out of it” and encouraged them not to give the Trump administration reason to “try to send in National Guard.” He concluded his interview by telling federal law enforcement to “back off” and “do the right thing.”
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McLaughlin reposted a clip of Pritzker calling for her and Noem’s resignation on X, calling it “an endorsement of @DHSGov’s work under @Sec_Noem!”
Noem appeared on CNN prior to Pritzker, where she directed criticism toward Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for their handling of the shooting. She said both have “inflamed the public” and told them to “grow up” in addressing this shooting to the public.
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Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) also called Noem a “wholly unqualified person” on Friday. He has called for a proper investigation into the Minneapolis ICE shooting, saying it is the only way to restore faith in this community.
The Trump administration announced Friday that it began reexamining the refugee status of thousands of Minnesota residents. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the review has already led to referrals to ICE for suspected fraud and other criminal activity.
