From The Hill:
Republicans on Capitol Hill are expressing skepticism over Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s handling of the Trump administration’s response to an Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officer fatally shooting a woman Noem has said was committing an “act of domestic terrorism.”
Noem’s hasty characterization of the shooting as an entirely justified use of federal force against a woman who “weaponized” her vehicle has raised questions on Capitol Hill and differed in tone from other senior administration officials.“It was very unusual to have a senior law enforcement official to draw a conclusion about an event where the scene was still being processed,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said of Noem’s conclusion that the shooting was in response to a domestic terrorism incident.
“I believe that she gave the president advice — and I hope she’s right. But generally speaking, law enforcement would recognize that a life was lost, that families are changed forever, the shooter’s life will change forever, we’re collecting video, we’re trying to assess the situation,” Tillis said.
“That didn’t happen,” he added. “Either Secretary Noem has a lot of information that she will share with us in the coming days that formed a basis for advising the president, or she communicated too soon.”
Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, said the investigation needs to “play out” before conclusions are drawn.
“It’d be unprofessional to comment on what I think happened in that situation,” he said on “CBS Evening News”. “Let the investigation play out and hold people accountable based on the investigation.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a frequent critic of President Truump’s, said she’s concerned about access to the investigations.
“I did find that a little confusing and concerning. It seems like the state authorities are being iced out of it — no pun intended — which just seems unusual,” Murkowski said.
In a post on social media, Murkowski called for a “thorough and objective investigation.”
“The videos I’ve seen from Minneapolis yesterday are deeply disturbing. As we mourn this loss of life, we need a thorough and objective investigation into how and why this happened — which will require full cooperation from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, along with local authorities,” she said. “We need to ensure ICE officers have the necessary training to safely — and with empathy and respect for human life — carry out these activities.”
The videos I’ve seen from Minneapolis yesterday are deeply disturbing. As we mourn this loss of life, we need a thorough and objective investigation into how and why this happened—which will require full cooperation from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, along…
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) January 8, 2026
Read more at The Hill
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