Sen. Rand Paul took the country’s immigration chiefs through a step-by-step video of the encounter that led to last month’s shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, telling them they’ve lost the trust of the public.
The Kentucky Republican, during a Senate hearing Thursday, said he’s not sure there was anything “criminal” in the shooting, but “it’s terrible police work.”
“To restore trust in ICE and Border Patrol, they must admit their mistakes, be honest and forthright with their rules of engagement, and pledge to reform,” said Mr. Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
He took Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons through the encounter, ending with the sound of the gunshots that took Pretti’s life. And one point, the video focused on one officer beating Pretti with a pepper spray canister.
“Do you train officers to beat somebody with a canister?” said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the top Democrat on the panel.
“He’s retreating at every moment, he’s trying to get away, and he’s being sprayed in the face,” Mr. Paul said.
Mr. Scott said he hasn’t reached any conclusions about the shooting, but pushed back on Mr. Paul’s narrative.
“What I’m seeing is a subject that’s not compliant, he’s not following any guidance, he’s fighting back nonstop,” Mr. Scott said.
He and Mr. Lyons agreed that videoing officers or yelling at them is not a justification for use of force, but said there could be more information about the Pretti encounter that put it in a different category.
Pretti was slain during the scuffle with CBP personnel during President Trump’s immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis. His killing followed that of Renee Good, also in Minneapolis.
The killings have cost Mr. Trump dearly, with public support for his immigration operations plummeting.
Mr. Paul and Mr. Peters said they were searching for reforms and new rules that can be imposed to calm things and repeatedly suggested adopting rules similar to local police on uniform identification and drawing firearms.
“You need to look at the policy because I don’t think they’re living up to the same standard of the police. I think the police are better trained,” Mr. Paul said.
Mr. Lyons said he’s open to changes, but challenged the lawmakers to work to cool things, too.
He detailed some of the threats he and his personnel have faced. He said a cartel has posted the schematics to his home online, and he got a new round of death threats when he appeared at a different hearing earlier this week.
“To dispel the fear of the men and women of ICE, that would be huge,” he said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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