NationalWatch

A longtime Democratic operative who worked for top party figures before jumping into private ventures with the now-husband of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Tim Mynett, is back in the spotlight as swindling allegations resurface and Congress investigates Omar’s skyrocketing net worth via her husband’s companies, according to her financial disclosures.

William Hailer and Mynett, who met working for now-Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison when he was in Congress, were both political operatives before they turned to venture capitalism and the wine industry. Hailer was a senior advisor to former Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez and also has an extensive history working for Ellison, who was the DNC co-chair. Between consulting fees and reimbursements, Hailer raked in over $250,000 advising the DNC and Ellison, according to FEC filings.

The pair also co-founded the political consulting firm E Street Group, which raked in almost $3 million alone from Omar’s House campaigns, and then went on to co-found Rose Lake Capital LLC, a venture capital firm, and eStCru, a wine company, among a web of other ventures they have since embarked on. 

Through these business ventures, which include wine and cannabis, Hailer left a trail of fraud and swindling allegations tied to eSt Ventures, which was co-founded by Hailer and Mynett, and the subsequently formed Badlands Fund, which was created to control another investment fund that the pair also created called Badlands Ventures.

TRUMP CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO ILHAN OMAR’S WELATH, SAYS IT SHOULD START ‘NOW’ 

“On information and belief, Defendants formed Badlands Ventures in order to defraud Plaintiffs by soliciting them for purported investments in Dakota and 605 with the present intention of stealing and/or misappropriating most of the money,” the cannabis lawsuit, which listed Hailer and Badlands Ventures as the defendant, states.

The lawsuit claims that the pair solicited donations from local South Dakota cannabis growers who had been raising money among their friends and family. Hailer allegedly promised them that he already had big investors lined up, and would bring in multi-millions more if the local growers forked over around $3.5 million. 

However, the additional investment never appeared to materialize despite months of promises that the funds were not far away, according to court complaints. While the money has since been returned, according to public reporting, the defendants claimed that after signing a proposed settlement they were still struggling to get the full amount that they gave to Hailer back. Hailer returned $1.86 million in August 2022 and another $500,000 in October 2023, while the final settlement in 2024 got the remaining $1.2 million back to the investors that was still missing. 

The cannabis investors’ attorney eventually said the dispute was settled “amicably.” Meanwhile, local media questioned how Hailer was able to pay the money back considering discovery documents in the case reportedly showed he had less than $750 combined across various business and personal bank accounts.   

Following the cannabis incident, Hailer and Mynett faced further allegations of fraud related to their California wine business, eStCru, which saw its valuation jump from between just $15,000 to $50,000 in 2023 to between $1 million and $5 million in 2024. 

The winery first appeared on Omar’s disclosure reports after she and Mynett tied the knot in 2020 and the massive valuation jump comes just five years after Hailer complained that eStCru could barely keep the lights on during the COVID-19 pandemic. “ESTCRU LLC like many wineries is living invoice to invoice, sale to sale, to stay afloat given the economic conditions of the industry,” Hailer told the Minnesota Reformer in response to more fraud allegations against him and his wine business with Mynett.

OMAR RIPPED FOR ‘INCITING VIOLENCE’ AFTER MINNEAPOLIS ICE SHOOTING: ‘MAKE SURE THESE PEOPLE PAY’

The situation involved similar promises left unkept aimed at drawing in investors. The business deal involved a D.C.-area restaurant owner who was recommended to invest in Hailer and Mynett’s wine venture by his attorney, Faisal Gill, who also happened to be a former Democratic operative as well, per the Rhode Island Current. “I trusted Tim,” Gill told the outlet. “If it was not for Tim, the deal would have never happened.”

The restaurant owner, Naeem Mohd, wired $300,000 to Hailer and Mynett, but alleged he never received the 200% returns in 18 months that the pair promised him, arguing the pair knew that the promises were false. Hailer and Mynett also allegedly promised 10% monthly interest payments for as long as the restaurant owner did not see returns, but once again the investor argued that the pair knew this would never come to fruition.

Mohd also alleged in court filings that Hailer and Mynette pressured him into signing an agreement preventing him from filing further suit against them.

In response to the accusations of fraud, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital for the pair’s venture capital firm responded that “Any disputes with these parties have been settled with cases dismissed with prejudice (can not be brought again).” 

Hailer and Mynett’s Rose Lake Capital, the other firm that saw a massive valuation jump on Omar’s financial filings – listed as being worth between $1 and $1,000 in 2023 and then skyrocketing to between $5 million and $25 million the following year – was recently embroiled in misrepresentation allegations as well. 

Amid the scrutiny into the firm’s massive jump in valuation shown in Congresswoman Omar’s most recent financial filings, the firm co-founded by Hailer and Mynett came under fire for scrubbing their firm’s website of various high-profile individuals that it claimed were its advisors. Among those listed were former members of Congress and other well-connected persons, including former Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.

MINNESOTA’S WELFARE FRAUD DISASTER EXPOSES A NATIONAL SYSTEM DESIGNED TO FAIL

Baucus said he only had a single phone call with Hailer back in 2022 regarding a proposed deal pertaining to storage units but then “nothing came of it,” according to The New York Post.

“He stopped writing his emails about the investment – about how well he’s doing, all that stuff. You can read between the lines – it sounded a little bit fishy,” he said, adding that no one ever cleared it with him to use his name as an “advisor” on Rose Lake’s website.

A spokesperson for Rose Lake defended the move, noting it was in response to “hate-filled messages” and accused Baucus of making “false” statements to the media. 

“All names were removed from the website when hate-filled messages were being sent to various members listed by individuals who have read stories in various publications,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Ambassador Baucus should review any contracts he executed with the company before saying false and potentially libelous statements to the press.” 

Hailer and Rose Lake Capital were also embroiled in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case that included allegations Hailer was encouraged to leave the country so he wouldn’t have to testify and would disrupt the sale. When asked during the bankruptcy hearing why he didn’t get on the flight to Dubai in order to skip the hearing, Hailer said, “Sometimes it’s better to do the right than the easy thing.”

Currently, both congressional and federal investigators are looking into the massive valuation jump by Hailer and Mynett’s venture capital fund and wine business. The scrutiny follows backlash from the 2019 – 2020 election cycle, during which Omar was caught funneling millions in campaign cash to a firm Mynett co-founded with Hailer called the E Street Group. 

The expenses covered a range of services, including cable advertising, “digital consulting,” video production and editing. Omar claimed that her relationship with her husband began long after her campaign started working with his firm. The payments, while not illegal, generated backlash for Omar and her husband.

In 2021, Republicans in Congress introduced the Oversight for Members And Relatives Act or “OMAR Act,” aimed at closing the loophole in federal anti-nepotism law that permitted Omar to funnel her campaign cash to Mynett and his firm.

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“For too long, lawmakers of both political parties have engaged in the ethically dubious practice of pocketing campaign funds by ‘hiring’ their spouses and laundering the money as campaign related expenses,” Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wisc., said at the time. 

The fresh scrutiny into Omar and her husband comes amid rampant fraud uncovered in Minnesota under the purview of Democratic Party leaders that estimates say could amount to as much as $9 billion in missing funds, and questions on whether Omar or anyone else benefited from it. The fraud has involved various social services and welfare schemes, including Medicare and childcare funding, and many of those convicted have been part of Minnesota’s ballooning Somali population.

Fox News Digital reached out to Hailer, Mynett, and Omar’ office.

Sam Dorman, Peter Hasson and Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump said Sunday that it was “too late” to halt construction of a new ballroom at the White House, despite a newly filed lawsuit challenging the project.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the ballroom as “a GIFT (ZERO taxpayer funding) to the United States of America,” estimating its cost at $300 million and saying it was financed through private donations.

Trump said the lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, criticizing the group for filing it after construction was already underway.

FEDERAL JUDGE QUESTIONS TRUMP AUTHORITY ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

“Why didn’t these obstructionists and troublemakers bring their baseless lawsuit much earlier?” he wrote.

Trump added that the East Wing was “changed, built and rebuilt over the years” and that “it bore no resemblance or relationship to the original building.”

On July 31, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the planned construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The sprawling ballroom will accommodate approximately 650 seated guests and will stay true to the classical design of the White House.

The White House does not have a formal ballroom, and the new ballroom will take the place of the current East Wing of the White House. 

Since his return to office, Trump has wasted no time in reshaping the look and feel of the White House and the National Mall.

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Trump has previously unveiled a new monument dubbed the “Arc de Trump,” which is planned to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.

He said the large arch, a near twin of Paris’s iconic Arc de Triomphe, will welcome visitors crossing the Arlington Memorial Bridge from Arlington National Cemetery into the heart of the nation’s capital.

Trump’s taste for opulence is unmistakable in the Oval Office, where golden accents now decorate the nation’s most iconic workspace, a reflection of his personal style.

Since then, Trump has added gold accents throughout the Oval Office to include decorative details along the ceiling and around the doorway trim. Even the cherubs inside the door frames were given a gilded makeover.

TRUMP GAVE THE OVAL OFFICE A GILDED MAKEOVER – AND COVERED THE COST HIMSELF

Outside the Oval Office, the Trump administration unveiled the “Presidential Walk of Fame,” a series of portraits of past presidents now displayed along the West Wing colonnade.

The portrait of former President Joe Biden features his signature, created with an autopen, a machine that holds a pen and reproduces a person’s handwriting through programmed movements. The Trump administration has also installed several large mirrors in gold frames along the walkway.

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Trump also said he renovated the Lincoln bathroom in the White House because it did not reflect the style of President Abraham Lincoln’s era. 

“I renovated the Lincoln Bathroom in the White House. It was renovated in the 1940s in an art-deco green tile style, which was totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era,” Trump wrote in an Oct. 31 Truth Social post.

The Trump administration is sharply criticizing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, accusing him of undermining law enforcement and blocking cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took aim at Walz in a social media post, writing that the governor has failed to cooperate with federal agencies, especially Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), during large-scale enforcement operations.

“Tim Walz does NOT believe in law and order,” Leavitt’s post read. “No amount of propaganda from his allies in the liberal media will convince the American people otherwise.”

Walz has sharply rebuked the federal presence following several controversial shootings involving immigration agents, including the death of Minneapolis resident Renée Good in early January and again on Sunday a day after another fatal shooting that resulted in the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

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“Minnesota believes in law and order,” Walz wrote in a post on X earlier Sunday. “We believe in peace. And we believe that Trump needs to pull his 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another American in the street.”

Leavitt claimed the governor has refused to allow law enforcement to work with ICE to arrest and remove what she described as “dangerous criminal illegal aliens.”

According to Leavitt, since President Donald Trump took office, Walz has released “nearly 500 criminal illegal aliens back onto Minnesota’s streets” rather than transferring them to federal custody.

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She further accused Walz of spreading “malicious lies” about federal law enforcement officers, saying his rhetoric has put officers in danger while they carry out immigration enforcement operations.

Leavitt said Walz has encouraged “left-wing agitators to stalk and record federal officers,” leading to officers being “doxxed, targeted, impeded, and placed in extremely dangerous situations.”

She also pointed to Walz’s handling of civil unrest in 2020, writing, “Don’t forget, this is the same Tim Walz who allowed rioters to burn Minneapolis in the summer of 2020” following the murder of George Floyd.

She further accused Walz of overseeing “massive fraud schemes” in Minnesota that she said resulted in “tens of billions of dollars in stolen American taxpayer funds.”

Leavitt said Trump “will never back down” from his pledge to deport violent criminal illegal aliens, a promise she said nearly 80 million Americans supported over what she called the “Open Borders Agenda of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”

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She urged Walz to change course and cooperate with federal authorities.

“Governor Walz should do the right thing by Minnesotans and work WITH, rather than AGAINST, federal law enforcement,” Leavitt wrote, pointing to states like Florida and Texas and cities like Washington, D.C., as examples where cooperation has led to “peace and safety.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday that Canada has no plans to pursue a free trade deal with China, pushing back against President Trump’s threat to slap 100% tariffs on Canadian goods.

Carney said Canada’s recent agreement with China only rolled back tariffs in a few sectors that had been hit in recent years and did not amount to a free trade deal. He noted that under the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement, Canada has committed not to pursue free trade agreements with nonmarket economies without prior notification.

“We have no intention of doing that with China or any other nonmarket economy,” Carney said. “What we have done with China is to rectify some issues that developed in the last couple of years.”

Carney made his first official visit to China earlier this month as he and Chinese President Xi Jinping work together to forge an improved bond between their countries. The leaders reached an agreement that would allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles to enter the Canadian market at a lower tariff rate of 6.1%, Carney’s office said.

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In 2024, Canada matched U.S. trade policy by imposing a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles and a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum. China retaliated with 100% duties on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25% tariffs on pork and seafood.

Trump issued his tariff threat in a social media post, warning that if Carney “thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken.”

TRUMP WARNS CANADA OF 100% TARIFFS IF IT BECOMES CHINA’S ‘DROP OFF PORT’ WITH NEW POTENTIAL TRADE DEAL

In another post on Sunday, Trump claimed Canada is being taken over by China.

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“China is successfully and completely taking over the once Great Country of Canada,” Trump’s post read. “So sad to see it happen. I only hope they leave Ice Hockey alone!”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the actions of federal law enforcement in Minnesota on Sunday as Minneapolis reels from a second killing of an anti-ICE protester.

Blanche made the comments during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” telling host Kristen Welker that the vast majority of ICE’s operations have gone forward without incident.

Welker highlighted a handful of examples that have faced criticism, including the deadly shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti this month.

“Yes, our agents are acting humanely,” Blanche said.

TRUMP CITES ARMED SUSPECT, LACK OF POLICE SUPPORT FOLLOWING FATAL BORDER PATROL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS

“Their jobs are very, very difficult,” he continued. “It is a very difficult place to be going out and trying to arrest these violent felons with no support from local law enforcement, with no support from the governor.”

Blanche went on to state that there have been “thousands of arrests” in Minnesota, but critics focus on “two or three things that are pointed to as being wrong or being too aggressive or not being appropriate.”

“That’s not fair to the men and women that are doing this every day,” he added.

FREY, KLOBUCHAR CALL FOR ICE TO LEAVE MINNEAPOLIS FOLLOWING DEADLY CBP SHOOTING IN CITY

Blanche’s appearance comes as investigations into the Pretti’s death are just beginning. Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem said the victim, who was armed, “violently resisted” arrest and that the federal agent fired his weapon “fearing for his life.”

Footage of the incident shows an agent disarmed Pretti shortly before he was killed. He entered into the initial scuffle with agents as he tried to assist another protester who had been pushed by law enforcement.

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to the shooting on Sunday.

Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, said Saturday that they are “heartbroken but also very angry,” and condemned the version of events presented by law enforcement as “sickening lies.”

“Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital,” the couple wrote.

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“The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed,” they continued.

A Republican lawmaker is calling for an oversight hearing of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies, renewing a request from earlier this month as attention turns to a fatal shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis.

Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said Saturday he is seeking testimony from senior DHS officials following the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

Garbarino said the request builds on an invitation issued by committee staff on Jan. 15, which he is now formally following up on.

The officials he named include acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow.

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“As chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, my top priority remains keeping Americans safe and ensuring the Department of Homeland Security can accomplish its core mission,” Garbarino said. 

“I take my oversight duties for the department seriously, and Congress has an important responsibility to ensure the safety of law enforcement and the people they serve and protect,” he added. “I am committed to ensuring ICE, CBP, and USCIS are effectively using the historic resources provided through reconciliation to strengthen public safety, and I look forward to each of these agencies testifying before the Committee.”

Pretti’s death has intensified tensions in Minnesota and reverberated on Capitol Hill, as criticism of the way federal immigration enforcement is being conducted has fueled protests and political scrutiny.

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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called on the Trump administration to end its ICE operations in the state after the second shooting death of a U.S. citizen in recent weeks, saying they were not making the city safer.

THOUSANDS MARCH THROUGH MINNEAPOLIS, SWARM TARGET CENTER DEMANDING ICE REMOVAL FROM MINNESOTA

“This administration and everyone involved in this operation should be reflecting. They should be reflecting right now and asking themselves what exactly are you accomplishing? If the goal was to achieve peace and safety, this is doing exactly the opposite. If the goal was to achieve calm and prosperity, this is doing exactly the opposite,” he told reporters.

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DHS Secretary Kristi Noem pushed back against Frey during a press conference on Saturday, blaming him and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for inflaming tensions and accusing them of encouraging resistance to federal law enforcement and refusing to cooperate with immigration authorities.

“They need to evaluate their rhetoric, their conversations, and their encouragement of such violence against our citizens and our law enforcement officers,” she said.

Vice President JD Vance called the unrest in Minnesota “engineered chaos” in the wake of another fatal, federal agent-involved shooting over the weekend. 

On Saturday, 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse who was carrying a licensed handgun while protesting a federal immigration enforcement operation, was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Authorities say Pretti resisted arrest after trying to intervene in the operation.

In response to the shooting, Vance accused “far-left agitators working with local authorities” of creating the conditions that led to the confrontation between Pretti and the border patrol agents. 

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“This level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis,” Vance said in a post on X. “It is the direct consequence of far left agitators, working with local authorities.”

His remarks come as a familiar network of far-left groups mobilize nationwide, often coalescing around disparate causes.

FAMILIAR GROUPS MOBILIZE IMMEDIATELY AFTER ICE SHOOTING OF MINNESOTA PROTESTER

In Minneapolis, the unrest intensified after the shooting, leading several local officials, including Gov. Tim Walz, to call on the Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration to pull Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from the city.

Walz said in a post on X that he spoke with the White House “after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning.” 

“Minnesota has had it,” Walz said. “This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”

On Sunday, Walz said: “Minnesota believes in law and order. We believe in peace,” and called on Trump to pull “untrained agents” out of the state.

But the White House wasn’t keen on budging. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to local leadership calling for the withdrawal of federal law enforcement from Minnesota, writing on X that the focus should not be on removing officers but on removing “dangerous criminal illegal aliens” from the state.

“The Democrats have their priorities completely upside down. They will not keep the American people safe,” Leavitt wrote. 

ICE OFFICERS INJURED AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT STRIKES AGENTS

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said Pretti approached agents while armed with a 9 mm pistol and two magazines and “violently resisted” when officers tried to disarm him, prompting one agent to fire.

Local video footage and eyewitness accounts, however, appear to show Pretti holding only his phone before he was pepper-sprayed and pinned to the ground, raising questions about the government’s account of the encounter.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News on Sunday that she grieves for Pretti’s family and vowed a thorough investigation.

“We can’t have individuals that are impeding law enforcement operations and then showing up with guns and weapons and no ID and confronting law enforcement like that,” Noem said. “It is one of the reasons that we see situations like this unfold.”

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He was shot several times and pronounced dead at the scene. State officials later said Pretti had a lawful permit to carry the firearm. 

Minnesota Democrats pushed back on the White House’s characterization, arguing the federal operation escalated tensions and endangered residents, including those not targeted by immigration enforcement.

President Donald Trump praised the soldiers of the United Kingdom who served alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan on Saturday, clarifying his previous criticism of NATO allies.

Trump had earlier criticized NATO troops who served in Afghanistan, arguing they had stayed “a little bit back” from the frontlines during the conflict. His statement was met with outrage in the U.K., however, where Prime Minister Kier Starmer called it “insulting and frankly, appalling.”

“The GREAT and very BRAVE soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America! In Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“It’s a bond too strong to ever be broken. The U.K. Military, with tremendous Heart and Soul, is second to none (except for the U.S.A.!). We love you all, and always will!” he continued.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S UK VISIT SHOULDN’T BE UNDERESTIMATED

The social media post partially walks back his previous criticism of NATO, made during an interview on Fox Business.

“We have never really asked anything of them,” he said. “You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan or this or that, and they did. They stayed a little back, little off the front lines.”

Starmer’s office says the prime minister raised the issue with Trump during a phone call this weekend.

UK READY TO SEND TROOPS, JETS, SHIPS IF TRUMP CLINCHES UKRAINE CEASEFIRE, DEFENSE CHIEF SAYS

“The Prime Minister raised the brave and heroic British and American soldiers who fought side by side in Afghanistan, many of whom never returned home,” a spokesperson said. “We must never forget their sacrifice.”

Trump’s initial remarks also drew a direct rebuke from Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan.

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“I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there,” Harry said.

“Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defense of diplomacy and peace,” he added.

A federal judge in Minnesota has blocked the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to a deadly shooting involving a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis on Saturday.

The ruling came after the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension filed a lawsuit Saturday to prevent the destruction of evidence in the shooting death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident killed by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration enforcement operation.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Pretti approached Border Patrol agents armed with a 9 mm pistol and “violently resisted” when they attempted to disarm him.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, names DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and U.S. Border Control, as well as Attorney General Pam Bondi, as defendants.

TRUMP CITES ARMED SUSPECT, LACK OF POLICE SUPPORT FOLLOWING FATAL BORDER PATROL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS

The groups, represented by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, said the litigation is accompanied by a motion for a temporary restraining order that asks the court to immediately prevent the defendants from destroying any evidence related to the shooting.

In granting the temporary injunction, Judge Eric Tostrud wrote that federal officials and those acting on their behalf cannot destroy evidence taken from the scene of the south Minneapolis shooting or now in their exclusive custody, which state authorities say they were previously barred from inspecting.

Tostrud scheduled a hearing Monday to review the order.

“As I said earlier today, I will not rest, my team will not rest, until we have done everything in our power, everything within our authority, to achieve transparency and accountability,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. “Our office has jurisdiction to review this matter for potential criminal conduct by the federal agents involved and we will do so.”

Moriarty added that the lawsuit is just one of the actions her office is taking “to ensure that a thorough and transparent investigation can be completed at the state level.”

READ IT: BONDI SENDS WARNING LETTER TO GOV WALZ WARNING MINNESOTA’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES ENDANGER AGENTS

In announcing the litigation, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison asserted that “federal agents are not above the law and Alex Pretti is certainly not beneath it.”

“A full, impartial, and transparent investigation into his fatal shooting at the hands of DHS agents is non-negotiable,” he said in a statement. “Minnesota law enforcement is currently carrying out such an investigation, and it is essential that the evidence collected by federal agents is preserved and turned over to state officials. Today’s lawsuit aims to bar the federal government from destroying or tampering with any of the evidence they have collected.”

Ellison added that “justice will be done.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department for comment.

In a separate statement, Ellison said he shares “intense grief and anger” that Pretti was shot and killed during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge.

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He said his office will argue in court Monday to end “this illegal and unconstitutional occupation of our cities and the terror and violence it’s inflicting.”

The Department of Homeland Security said it is leading the investigation into the shooting.

Pretti was a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ICU nurse. Though medics immediately delivered aid, Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

Democrats are rolling out The Bench — a new political group pushing a crop of rising star candidates aiming to remake the party.

The organization, which was formally launched earlier this month by a handful of campaign veterans, says its mission is to spend resources to build a bench full of candidates which they highlight as “the future of the Democratic Party.”

The launch of the new group comes as Democrats aim to win back House and Senate majorities in this year’s midterm elections, but as the party also suffers from historically low favorability and approval ratings.

The party in power in Washington, D.C., which this year is clearly the GOP, normally faces stiff political headwinds in the midterm elections. And the latest national polls indicate that President Donald Trump‘s approval ratings remain well underwater, fueled in part by Americans’ continued deep concerns over persistent inflation.

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But Democrats have their own polling problems, with a slew of surveys dating back a year indicating the party’s brand hitting historic lows.

The Bench, in a statement, says the candidates they’re backing “can help us repair our brand, they are best positioned to win general election races and hold onto seats.”

The group plans to provide these candidates “with the tools, strategy, and support to run serious, solutions-focused campaigns that challenge the status quo, connect with voters, and deliver real results for the people they serve.”

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The group, which includes well-known Democratic operative and strategist Lis Smith and communications specialist Andrew Mamo, has been working for months to recruit and build up three Senate candidates and a dozen House contenders.

The Senate candidates are Michigan state Senate Majority Whip Mallory McMorrow, Texas state lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian James Talarico, and Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, a Paralympian wheelchair basketball player.

In House races, the group is backing are Jamie Ager in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, Shannon Bird in Colorado’s 8th District, Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania’s 7th District, Cait Conley in New York’s 17th District, and Mike Cortese in Tennessee’s 5th District.

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The list also includes Sam Forstag in Montana’s 1st District, Sarah Trone Garriott in Iowa’s 3rd District, Matt Maasdam in Michigan’s 7th District, Darren McAuley in Florida’s 15th District, Denise Blaya Powell in Nebraska’s 2nd CDDistrictand Bobby Pulidio in Texas’ 15th District.

And this week, the group backed Nancy Lacore in South Carolina’s 1st District. Lacore, a 35-year military veteran who served as a Navy helicopter pilot and later as chief of the Navy Reserve, a 60,000-person force, was removed from her post last August by War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

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The group notes that the candidates they’re supporting range from progressives to centrists.

“These candidates aren’t united by ideology, but by a willingness to break from Democratic defaults, speak honestly to their communities, and compete seriously in places the party has too often written off,” the group said.

But Mike Marinella, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Fox News Digital, “The Democrat Party is a broken brand, and they’re stitching it together with deeply radical candidates. They’re too woke for the working class, too weak to get anything done, and too lost to get out of the wilderness.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., called for a full investigation after a federal agent fatally shot a man who was allegedly armed in Minneapolis on Saturday, calling the incident “incredibly disturbing.”

Cassidy joined a chorus of Democratic lawmakers raising questions following the shooting death of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex J. Pretti, who was killed by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday. Pretti allegedly confronted officers during a Department of Homeland Security operation in south Minneapolis and was carrying a gun, according to the agency.

“The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing,” Cassidy said in a post on X. “The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation.”

Cassidy added that “we can trust the American people with the truth.”

TRUMP BRIEFED ON BORDER PATROL-INVOLVED SHOOTING AS MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR DEMANDS END TO ENFORCEMENT OPERATION

The Louisiana Republican’s comments were seemingly at odds with members of his party, including President Donald Trump, who said in a post on Truth Social following the shooting that federal agents “had to protect themselves” because of the lack of support from local police in Minneapolis.

“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go—What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?” Trump wrote in the post. “The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves—Not an easy thing to do!”

Last week, Trump pledged his endorsement for U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow if she entered the GOP primary in Louisiana, challenging Cassidy, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015. Letlow launched her Senate bid days later.

NOEM SAYS MINNEAPOLIS SUSPECT COMMITTED ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM,’ ACCUSES WALZ, FREY OF INCITING VIOLENCE

Cassidy was one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump after the House impeached him in 2021. The Senate vote ultimately fell short of the threshold required to convict Trump.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during a news conference Saturday that the incident occurred while DHS officers carried out “targeted operations” in Minneapolis against an illegal immigrant with a violent criminal history.

“An individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun,” Noem said, adding that agents attempted to disarm him.

“The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently,” Noem said. “Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots.”

BLOCKING ICE COOPERATION FUELED MINNESOTA UNREST, OFFICIALS WARN AS VIRGINIA REVERSES COURSE

Noem said Pretti had “two magazines with ammunition in them that held dozens of rounds” and no identification, adding that “this looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”

She said DHS is investigating the shooting “just like we do all other officer-involved shootings,” adding that additional details would be forthcoming.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said during a news conference Saturday that “we need ICE out of Minnesota,” while placing blame on the Trump administration.

“I have personally warned them that there would be more deaths, that more of this would happen,” she said. “And clearly they’re not listening. So, we ask people around the country to talk to their Republican representatives to make clear that this is not the America that is ours. This has got to stop.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Klobuchar’s comments in an X post Saturday, saying federal agents should not be removed from Minnesota.

“We need dangerous criminal illegal aliens out of Minnesota. The Democrats have their priorities completely upside down. They will not keep the American people safe,” she wrote.

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In his own post, Vice President JD Vance blamed “far left agitators” for the recent unrest in Minneapolis.

“This level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis,” he posted on X Saturday evening. “It is the direct consequence of far left agitators, working with local authorities.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey along with several Minnesota senators and representatives, called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to get out of the state on Saturday, hours after a deadly shooting in the city.

“The city of Minneapolis is filing a declaration after today’s shooting to encourage the judge to rule on a temporary restraining order on Monday that would grant us immediate relief and help, would help stop this operation that has been so harmful to the city of Minneapolis, the state of Minnesota has resulted in multiple shootings and tragic deaths,” the mayor said in a news conference.

Frey said the “chaos that we are seeing” has been directly caused by ICE and the Trump administration.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who joined Frey at the podium, said: “Our message is really clear and straightforward. We need ice out of Minnesota.”

DHS SAYS ICE AGENTS RAMMED BY VEHICLES AMID MINNEAPOLIS ENFORCEMENT SURGE: ‘AGGRESSIVELY ASSAULTED’

Klobuchar asserted that ICE is “not making us more safe as the tragic, tragic killing this morning, as people saw it viscerally on that video, shows us they are making us less safe.”

She said the around 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents in the area outnumber the “sworn police officers in Minneapolis and St. Paul by three to one, and it’s even larger than the 10 metropolitan police departments.”

“This is completely out of whack, completely out of balance,” she claimed. “And now three people have been shot, two resulting in death. One: Renee Good, mother of three, and now Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis man, a citizen, also a nurse.”

Pretti was shot and killed by an ICE agent Saturday morning during an immigration enforcement operation.

LARA TRUMP SLAMS TIM WALZ, JACOB FREY FOR ‘FANNING FLAMES’ WHILE RED STATES COOPERATE WITH ICE

“This city has been under siege,” Klobuchar added, while laying blame on the Trump administration.

“I have personally warned them that there would be more deaths, that more of this would happen,” she said. “And clearly they’re not listening. So, we ask people around the country to talk to their Republican representatives to make clear that this is not the America that is ours. This has got to stop.”

ANTI-ICE AGITATORS, INCLUDING CLERGY, ARRESTED AT MINNEAPOLIS AIRPORT DURING PROTEST IN FRIGID WEATHER

Frey said that he had asked for assistance from the National Guard to help the around 600 officers with the Minneapolis Police Department.

“Minneapolis police officers have been working tirelessly to do their day-to-day work, and simultaneously, they are put in the middle of these chaotic situations,” he said. “Most of the protests that we’ve seen have remained peaceful. Let’s keep it that way.”

Frey also called out the president, saying, “Let’s not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own version of chaos here.”

Klobuchar claimed that ICE’s mission in Minnesota had “gone way beyond” investigating fraud or apprehending violent criminals.

“I took part in that peaceful and powerful march yesterday, all those peaceful people, and then we wake up this morning to this,” Klobuchar lamented.

She added that they had opposed a Congressional Republicans bill tripling the ICE budget last summer, which she said is now more than the FBI, and said that training for agents has been reduced from five months to 47 days.

“We are also calling for a full and transparent investigation,” Klobuchar said. “We have done this before in Minnesota, coordinating with local and state and federal law enforcement. And if they’re not going to do it, then they need to get out of the way and allow our very professional Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct the investigation into these killings.”

Frey later added in an X post: “After today’s shooting, Minneapolis is filing a declaration to push for an immediate ruling on our temporary restraining order. We need swift action to protect our city.”

DHS officials said Pretti approached Border Patrol agents while armed with a 9mm pistol and “violently resisted” when they attempted to disarm him.

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Medics at the scene immediately delivered aid, but Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene.

Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report. 

A member of Congress was allegedly assaulted Friday evening while attending the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., wrote on X on Saturday: “Last night, I was assaulted by a man at Sundance Festival who told me that Trump was going to deport me before he punched me in the face.”

Frost added that the suspect “was heard screaming racist remarks as he drunkenly ran off.”

Frost said the man had been arrested and that he wasn’t hurt in the incident.

LAWMAKER TARGETED WITH DEATH THREAT AFTER CONDEMNING RACIST SIGN AIMED AT WINSOME SEARS

“Thank you to the venue security and Park City PD for assistance on this incident,” he added.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries responded to the news on X: writing, “I am horrified by the attack on Congressman Maxwell Frost. Grateful that he is okay, but appalled that this terrifying assault took place. The perpetrator must be aggressively prosecuted.”

MEMBER OF CONGRESS SAYS SHE WAS ASSAULTED BY GANG OF YOUTH BEFORE TRUMP DC TAKEOVER 

Jeffries continued: “Hate and political violence has no place in our country, and the entire House Democratic Caucus family stands with Maxwell.”

The alleged assault took place at a party hosted by the CAA talent party at the High West Saloon, which the suspect crashed, according to Variety.

The suspect was allegedly bragging in the bathroom about being “White” before punching Frost in the face, the outlet reported.

He has yet to be identified.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Park City Police Department for comment.

The 29-year-old congressman was first elected to serve in Florida’s 10th district in 2022.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday labeled the alleged actions of the suspect killed in a Border Patrol-involved shooting in Minneapolis as “domestic terrorism,” accusing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of inciting violence against federal officers while stressing that President Donald Trump is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act if deemed necessary.

“When you perpetuate violence against a government because of ideological reasons and for reasons to resist and perpetuate violence, that is the definition of domestic terrorism,” Noem said during a news conference at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism,” Noem added. “That’s the facts.”

Noem described the incident beginning while DHS officers carried out “targeted operations” in Minneapolis against an illegal alien whose criminal history included domestic assault, disorderly conduct, and driving without a valid license.

TODD BLANCHE WARNS AMERICANS ‘SHOULD BE WORRIED’ ABOUT MINNESOTA PROTESTS AFTER CHURCH DISRUPTION

“An individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun,” and agents attempted to disarm him. “The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently,” Noem said. “Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots.”

Medics attempted to render aid, Noem said, but the man, later identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, “was pronounced dead at the scene.” 

She also claimed that the Pretti had “two magazines with ammunition in them that held dozens of rounds” and no identification.

“This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,” Noem said.

TRUMP CITES ARMED SUSPECT, LACK OF POLICE SUPPORT FOLLOWING FATAL BORDER PATROL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS

The shooting was followed by unrest in the area, Noem said. 

“Hundreds of protesters then showed up at the scene,” she said. “They began to obstruct and to assault law enforcement officers,” she added. “We saw objects being thrown at them, including ice and other objects, and a rampant assault began.

“A [Homeland Security Investigation] HSI agent’s finger was bitten off.” 

She said crowd-control measures were deployed “to bring safety to the public and to law enforcement at the scene.”

Noem said the situation “did not have to happen,” placing blame on Minnesota’s political leadership. 

“The Minnesota governor and the Minneapolis mayor need to take a long, hard look in the mirror,” she said. “They need to evaluate their rhetoric, their conversations, and their encouragement of such violence against our citizens and our law enforcement officers.”

NOEM SAYS ‘ARRESTS COMING’ AFTER ANTI-ICE MOB TARGETED MINNESOTA CHURCH

She also accused Walz of undermining federal officers. “I’ll remind you that Governor Walz, today in his press conference, said that our officers were not even law enforcement, which is a lie,” Noem said. “He’s called them the Gestapo.”

Noem further claimed Walz “encouraged residents and citizens and violent rioters to resist,” and alleged that state leaders had doxed federal officers, “putting themselves and their families’ lives in jeopardy.”

During the briefing, Noem was asked whether Trump was closer to invoking the Insurrection Act in response to the unrest. She did not rule it out.

“The president will use every tool that he needs to follow through on his promises to the American people,” Noem said.

She added that the Trump administration would continue operating in Minneapolis despite objections from state and local leaders.

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“We’re going to treat Minneapolis exactly the way that we have treated every other city across this country,” Noem said, referring to immigration enforcement operations like Operation Metro Surge underway nationwide.

Noem said DHS is investigating the shooting “just like we do all other officer-involved shootings,” and that additional details would be released as the investigation continues.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment in response to Noem’s remarks.

Senate Democrats are ready to break a fragile truce that would avert a partial government shutdown after a Minneapolis man was fatally shot by a border patrol agent on Saturday. 

Congressional Democrats were already leery of backing funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the wake of the agency’s presence in Minnesota and beyond, but the shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti during an immigration enforcement operation has shattered what little unity they had on the bill. 

Now, Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., plan to vote against the legislation, which is currently included in a broader funding package along with five other spending bills. 

SENATE DEMOCRATS REBEL AGAINST THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP OVER DHS FUNDING PACKAGE, INCREASING SHUTDOWN ODDS

Schumer, in a statement on Saturday, said that Democrats tried to get “common sense reforms” in the DHS funding bill, but charged that “because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

 “I will vote no,” Schumer said. “Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.”

Schumer’s play call serves as a blow to Senate Republicans, who worked with their colleagues across the aisle to find compromises in the DHS bill, in particular. It also comes as the deadline to fund the government is rapidly approaching on Friday, Jan. 30. Further complicating matters is the arctic storm ripping across the country, which has already forced the upper chamber to cancel votes on Monday. 

A senior Senate aide told Fox News Digital that Senate Democrats had been for weeks saying that they weren’t interested in shutting the government down again, and had praised the bipartisan nature of the government funding process up until Saturday.

 “These bills were negotiated with Dems — they agreed to what’s in them,” they said.

HOUSE JAMS SENATE BY ATTACHING REPEAL OF JACK SMITH PROVISION TO $1.2T FUNDING PACKAGE

The agency would be fully funded in the current proposal with several restrictions and reporting requirements that if not met, would act as triggers to turn off certain cash flows. 

Ripping the bill from the current six-bill funding package would cause a domino effect of headaches in Congress, given that any changes to the package would have to go through the House.

The lower chamber is gone until Feb. 2, making the likelihood of a partial shutdown much higher. 

Before the shooting, a handful of Senate Democrats had already made their opposition to the legislation known, including senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Tim Kaine, D-Va.

Kaine, notably, crossed the aisle last year to join a cohort of Senate Democratic caucus members to reopen the government after the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

He was not the only member of that group of eight to voice opposition — senators Catherine Cortez Masto, D-N.V., and Jacky Rosen, D-N.M., both came out against the DHS bill’s inclusion in the broader package on Saturday. 

“My personal guiding principle has always been ‘agree where you can and fight where you must,’ Rosen said in a statement. “And I believe this is a time when we must fight back.”

Meanwhile, House lawmakers are on a week-long recess after passing their latest spending package in two chunks — one standalone vote on DHS funding and another wrapping together funding legislation for the departments of War, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development — this past Thursday.

SENATE ADVANCES $174B PACKAGE AS MINNESOTA ICE SHOOTING FUELS DHS FUNDING FIGHT

A provision was added to the legislation before it passed the House that would combine the bills into one large package for the Senate to consider at once. It was then expected to be paired with other bills the Senate has not yet considered but which passed the House this month.

Changing that ahead of the Jan. 30 shutdown deadline would mean House lawmakers must return to Washington early to go through multiple procedural hurdles and another vote on the legislation — something House GOP leaders are ruling out, at least for now.

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“We passed all 12 bills over to the Senate, and they still have six in their possession that they need to pass to the president,” a House GOP leadership source told Fox News Digital on Saturday evening, referring to the lower chamber completing its portion of Congress’ annual appropriations process. “We have no plan to come back next week.”

Even if House leaders changed their plans, the impending snow storm would mean lawmakers may not return until Tuesday at the earliest. That would put final passage sometime Wednesday or Thursday, virtually guaranteeing Congress does not complete consideration of the bills until after the Friday deadline.

House GOP leaders would also likely be grappling with attendance issues if they did order a return, with various lawmakers on planned trips and over a dozen busy campaigning for higher office.

A partial government shutdown would mean only agencies that Congress has not yet funded would have to reduce or cease functions — in this case, payment to active duty troops, air traffic controllers, and border patrol agents could all be affected.

After a Border Patrol officer fatally shot Minneapolis resident Alex Jeffrey Pretti during an immigration enforcement operation Saturday, Democratic governors outside the state jumped to echo Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s condemnation of the Trump administration. 

DHS told Fox News federal agents attempted to disarm Pretti, 37, who had a gun and allegedly “violently resisted,” prompting the shooting.

Officials said Pretti was armed with a 9 mm handgun with two magazines and no ID, and DHS noted, “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

Democrat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker fired back on X, claiming “masked federal agents in Minnesota just shot and killed another person.”

“We must put a stop to Trump’s ICE. Now. Stop the funding, stop the occupations, stop the killings,” Pritzker wrote. “I am asking my fellow Republican and Democratic Governors across the nation to have a unified response. We must all stand against the lawlessness being inflicted in our states.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom took to social media accusing President Donald Trump of “ma[king] a shooting happen.”

“Yesterday, hundreds of thousands filled the streets of Minnesota — marching in subzero temperatures in a PEACEFUL protest,” Newsom wrote in an X post. “Not the excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act the President wanted. So today, Trump made a shooting happen. The President must end his violent occupation of Minnesota. NOW.”

ANTI-ICE AGITATORS DISRUPT MINNESOTA CHURCH, SHOUT DOWN WORSHIPPERS DURING SUNDAY SERVICE

Kathy Hochul, the Democratic governor of New York, also weighed in on X.

“Another horrific outcome from a federal operation that has clearly spun out of control,” Hochul wrote. “Americans have had enough of lawless conduct masquerading as enforcement. President Trump is responsible for putting a stop to it.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he reached out to Walz after the shooting, claiming the recent shooting incidents are “not isolated incidents.”

“Again and again, we see that ICE lacks accountability and agents lack training for the operations they’re being sent on,” Moore wrote in an X post. “This reckless pattern of violence carried out by the Department of Homeland Security is endangering our communities. Not protecting them. This must stop.”

Maine Gov. Janet Mills added she requested a meeting with Trump to demand the administration withdraw ICE agents from Maine.

“I am appalled and heartbroken by reports of yet another killing at the hands of federal immigration agents. President Trump and Secretary Noem’s weaponization of Federal law enforcement against the people they are meant to serve is not only a grave violation of the Constitution, but a threat to the lives of law-abiding people in the cities and states they seek to occupy, including Maine,” Mills wrote in a statement. 

“As Governor, I am requesting that the President of the United States meet with me so that I can demand in person that his Administration withdraw these untrained and reckless ICE agents in Maine and across the country who are stoking fear in communities, arresting legally present people, including law enforcement officials, and who pose a grave threat to public safety.”

Mills also called on Congress to immediately bring Noem before them for a public hearing and cut off any further funding for ICE.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Walz also touched on immigration officers’ training, calling the shooting “sickening.”

“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening,” Walz said. “The president must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”

At a news conference later Saturday, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said the officer involved in the shooting was “highly trained” and had been serving as a Border Patrol agent eight years. 

Bovino said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement officers were conducting an operation targeting Jose Huerta-Chuma, an illegal immigrant with a criminal history including domestic assault to intentional conflict bodily harm, disorderly conduct and driving without a valid license= early Saturday morning. 

Trump reacted to the incident in a Truth Social post.

“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go—What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves—Not an easy thing to do!” Trump wrote, attaching a photo of a gun DHS said it recovered from the shooting. 

Trump then questioned why Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has “$34 Million Dollars in her account” and asked where “Tens of Billions of Dollars” of Minnesota’s money has gone, apparently referencing recent reports of massive fraud in the state. 

“We are there because of massive Monetary Fraud, with Billions of Dollars missing, and Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy. We want the money back, and we want it back, NOW,” Trump added. 

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanded that the Trump administration remove immigration enforcement officials from the city. 

BORDER PATROL SHOOTS ARMED INDIVIDUAL IN MINNEAPOLIS, FOX NEWS LEARNS

A Border Patrol officer shot an armed man Saturday at the intersection of East 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, according to Trump administration officials. 

“I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death,” Frey said during a midday news conference. “How many more residents? How many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end? 

“How many more lives need to be lost before this administration realizes that a political and partisan narrative is not as important as American values? How many times must local and national leaders plead with you, Donald Trump, to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city?”

Frey said he was tired of local officials being told to turn down the temperature and that his community members are stirring up “vitriol” in the streets. He demanded that the administration “reflect” on the ongoing chaos in the city and ask whether it is achieving peace and safety. 

“If the goal was to achieve peace and safety, this is doing exactly the opposite,” he said. “If the goal was to achieve calm and prosperity, this is doing exactly the opposite.

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“So to President Trump, this is a moment to act like a leader. Put Minneapolis put America first in this moment,” he continued. “Let’s achieve peace. Let’s end this operation. And I’m telling you, our city will come back. Safety will be restored. We’re asking for you to take action now to remove these federal agents.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Fox News’ Rachel Wolf, Paul Mauro, Bill Melugin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump on Saturday said he plans to skip next month’s Super Bowl, slamming the halftime performers and griping that the California game is too far away.

Trump, who attended last year’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans, told the New York Post: “It’s just too far away. I would, I’ve [gotten] great hands [at] the Super Bowl. They like me.”

This year’s Super Bowl will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, near San Jose.

He added, “I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter.”

NFL TAPS BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM PERFORMER FOR SUPER BOWL LX

The president has also been openly critical of headline performer Bad Bunny since he was chosen last year to perform at the Halftime Show.

“I don’t know who he is,” Trump told Newsmax of the choice last fall. “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Rock band Green Day was also selected in the last week to play before the kickoff.

KRISTI NOEM TORCHES NFL AS ‘WEAK,’ VOWS ICE WILL SHOW UP AT SUPER BOWL AMID BAD BUNNY SCANDAL

Bad Bunny and Green Day’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong are both liberal performers who have been vocal about their dislike of Trump in the past.

Bad Bunny said last fall that he decided to do his residency show in his native Puerto Rico and didn’t book any U.S. dates on his tour over fears his fans would be detained by ICE agents.

“But there was the issue of, like, f—ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” the Latin pop star, who has a large Latino following, told i-D.

The 31-year-old also featured a person doing a Trump impression in his song “Nuevayol,” saying, “I want to apologize to the immigrants in America. . . . This country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans.”

Armstrong has likened Trump to Hitler in the past and the band frequently changes the line “I’m not part of a redneck agenda” from their 2004 hit “American Idiot” to “I’m not part of the MAGA agenda” in more recent live performances, according to The Independent.

“I’m anti-them,” Trump told the Post of the performers. “I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.”

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Kendrick Lamar headlined last year’s Halftime Show and SZA, Jon Batiste, Lauren Daigle, Trombone Shorty, and Ledisi also performed.

The Super Bowl will take place on Sunday, Feb. 8 with the Seattle Seahawks-Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots-Denver Broncos championship games Sunday deciding who will play.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller slammed Democrats for calling on federal immigration agents to leave Minnesota, accusing them of siding with “terrorists” after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot an armed U.S. citizen during a confrontation Saturday in Minneapolis.

The 37-year-old man allegedly approached agents during an apparent operation and then “violently resisted,” while armed with a 9mm pistol and two magazines, leading to the shooting.

“A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists,” Miller wrote in an X post.

He later responded to a social media post from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., calling for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave Minneapolis and for Congress to cut its funding.

TRUMP SAYS MEDIA FOCUSES TOO MUCH ON MINNESOTA ICE COVERAGE, NOT ENOUGH ON CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS

“An assassin tried to murder federal agents and this is your response,” Miller replied.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the man, whose name has not yet been released, held a lawful permit to carry (PTC).

In a letter penned to Walz on Saturday, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Minnesota has “refused” to enforce the law, saying the “consequences are heartbreaking.”

FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY ANTI-ICE AGITATORS ‘GOING AFTER THE DOGS’ FOLLOWING MINNEAPOLIS KENNEL INCIDENT

“… Unfortunately, you and other Minnesota officials have refused to support the men and women risking their lives to protect Americans and uphold the rule of law,” Bondi wrote. 

“Because Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul have chosen to ignore federal immigration law by enacting sanctuary laws and policies, the federal agents led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have operated alone,” she added. “And politicians in your state are not just refusing to help these agents, they are putting federal agents in danger.”

Bondi also called out Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for saying, “ICE: Get the f— out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here,” and Walz for referring to federal immigration enforcement agents as “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo.”

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“The results of your state’s policies and politicians’ anti-law enforcement rhetoric are a national tragedy. Violence against ICE officers and agents has increased approximately 1,300 percent,” she wrote. “Vehicular attacks against ICE officers have increased 3,200%. … You and your office must restore the rule of law, support ICE officers, and bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Minneapolis and Minnesota leaders of fueling unrest after a Border Patrol-involved shooting left an armed suspect dead during a targeted immigration enforcement operation, telling Fox News on Saturday that sanctuary-style policies and rhetoric against federal agents have undermined public safety.

Bondi made the remarks during a live interview with Fox News anchor Aishah Hasnie, hours after federal authorities said a Border Patrol (CBP) agent fatally shot a man armed with a handgun during an enforcement operation in south Minneapolis.

The shooting was followed by protests and crowd-control measures as demonstrators converged on the scene.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents were conducting a targeted operation against an illegal immigrant wanted for violent assault when an individual approached officers armed with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

ILHAN OMAR ACCUSES NOEM OF ‘LIES AND PROPAGANDA’ ON MINNESOTA ARRESTS

Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted.

“Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots,” Bovino said.

Authorities said the individual was pronounced dead at the scene. Bovino said the suspect was carrying two loaded magazines and no accessible identification, describing the individual as appearing intent on causing “maximum damage” to law enforcement.

MINNESOTA POLICE CHIEFS ALLEGE SOME ICE AGENTS RACIALLY PROFILED US CITIZENS, INCLUDING OFF-DUTY OFFICERS

Bondi placed responsibility for the unrest on Minnesota’s political leadership.

“This has happened in Minneapolis because you have a mayor and a governor who have declared Minneapolis a sanctuary city,” Bondi said. “You’re invited here. We will protect you.”

She said ICE agents operating in the city have arrested individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes, arguing enforcement was necessary to protect people.

TRUMP URGES DHS, ICE TO PUBLICIZE ARRESTS, SAYS CRACKDOWN IS ‘SAVING MANY INNOCENT LIVES’

“And that’s why Donald Trump has ICE in Minneapolis, to protect the citizens,” Bondi said.

Bondi described the protests as “extremely organized,” noting the appearance of matching signs and gas masks. “It’s extremely organized,” she said. “The signs they have are all matching. They’re well written. How did these people go out and get gas masks?”

During the interview, Bondi confirmed federal grand jury subpoenas had been issued to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, though she declined to comment on any ongoing investigation.

“That’s all I can say right now legally,” she said.

Bondi also said she sent a letter to Walz warning that the federal government would step in if state leaders did not support federal law enforcement efforts.

TOM EMMER BLASTS MINNESOTA DEMOCRATS AFTER ‘TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE’ CHURCH DISRUPTION

“We sent Governor Walz a very strong letter today. We had been working on this letter. We got it out saying that he better support President Trump. He better support the men and women in law enforcement because if he doesn’t, we are, and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

Bondi said multiple federal agencies are assisting DHS as the situation unfolds, adding that the administration’s priority remains protecting law enforcement officers and the public.

“We’re going to support our great men and women in law enforcement,” she said.

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Investigations into the shooting and the unrest that followed remain ongoing.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Fox News’ Paul Mauro, Bill Melugin contributed to this reporting.

President Donald Trump sounded off on Truth Social after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot an armed man in Minneapolis on Saturday, claiming federal agents “had to protect themselves” because of the lack of support from local police in the blue city.

The 37-year-old man, a U.S. citizen from Minneapolis, allegedly approached agents and then “violently resisted,” while armed with a 9mm pistol and two magazines.

“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go—What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?” Trump wrote in the post. “The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves—Not an easy thing to do!”

The president also called out Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., questioning her finances amid a federal fraud investigation.

“Why does Ilhan Omar have $34 Million Dollars in her account? And where are the Tens of Billions of Dollars that have been stolen from the once Great State of Minnesota?” Trump wrote. “We are there because of massive Monetary Fraud, with Billions of Dollars missing, and Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy. We want the money back, and we want it back, NOW. 

“Those Fraudsters who stole the money are going to jail, where they belong! This is no different than a really big Bank Robbery. Much of what you’re witnessing is a COVER UP for this Theft and Fraud.”

Trump then accused Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of “inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!”

“Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America,” he wrote. “LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB! 12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.