Nevada Democrats Unite in Outrage Over ICE Operations in Minnesota, Push to Defund and Restrict Federal Agents

This article has been updated with the latest demands from Rep. Horsford for Secretary Noem to resign.

In the wake of controversial ICE raids in Minnesota that have resulted in fatalities, Nevada’s Democratic delegation has intensified their criticism of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), labeling the agencies as “out of control” and demanding immediate defunding and oversight reforms. Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto, along with Representatives Steven Horsford, Dina Titus, and Susie Lee, have issued a barrage of statements condemning the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, which they claim endanger communities and violate constitutional rights.

The controversy stems from recent ICE operations in Minneapolis, where agents have been accused of using excessive force, including warrantless home entries and deadly shootings. On January 7, 2026, ICE agents shot and killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good during a raid, an incident that drew swift condemnation from Nevada lawmakers. Weeks later, on January 24, another shooting claimed the life of Alex Pretti, further fueling the partisan outcry. Both Minnesota victims were alleged to have received training in coordinated, anti-ICE operations. 

These events come amid President Trump’s renewed push for mass deportations, bolstered by the appointment of Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary in late 2025. Noem has defended the operations as necessary to combat illegal immigration.

Senator Jacky Rosen has been particularly vocal, calling for Noem’s impeachment and describing ICE’s actions as “un-American” and “constitutional violations.”  In a January 25 post on X, Rosen stated, “DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is a failure who has lost control over ICE, leading to abuses of power and constitutional violations. She must be impeached and removed.” Earlier, on January 24, she reacted to video footage of the Pretti shooting, declaring, “ICE is out of control. Congress must rein in their blatant abuses.” Rosen has also opposed any additional funding for ICE without “guardrails” for accountability, announcing she would vote against government appropriations for the agency. She joined Cortez Masto in introducing the PUBLIC SAFETY Act on January 15, which aims to redirect $75 billion from ICE to local police forces, criticizing Republicans for cutting programs like Medicaid to fund what she calls Trump’s “mass deportation agenda.”

Kristi Noem has been an abject failure leading the Department of Homeland Security for the last year – and the abuses of power we’re seeing from ICE are the latest proof that she has lost control over her own department and staff. She’s either too incompetent to rein in the…

— Senator Jacky Rosen (@SenJackyRosen) January 25, 2026

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto echoed these sentiments, focusing on how ICE’s “indiscriminate tactics” undermine public safety. On January 22, she blasted a DHS memo allowing warrantless home entries as “outrageous and unconstitutional,” insisting agents “must follow the law.” Masto, who introduced the PUBLIC SAFETY Act, argued that the extra $75 billion for ICE would be better spent hiring 200,000 local police officers, stating on January 21, “Trump’s cruel policies are making our country less safe.” 

She has a history of clashing with immigration enforcement; in a tragic irony, a former advisor to Masto was killed in 2024 by an individual who entered the U.S. illegally, as detailed in a Nevada Globe article.  Yet, Masto continues to advocate for redirecting funds away from federal agents, claiming ICE’s actions erode community trust.

pic.twitter.com/RtWnSW9764

— Senator Cortez Masto (@SenCortezMasto) January 24, 2026

Nevada’s Democratic House members have similarly ramped up their opposition. Representative Steven Horsford announced on January 22 that he would vote against the DHS Appropriations Act due to the “pattern of violence” in ICE operations, citing a lack of accountability measures. He described the Good shooting as “horrific” and demanded an investigation, while highlighting poor conditions in ICE detention facilities based on his August 2025 visits, where he was initially denied entry—a move he called an attempt to evade oversight.

He has now joined his colleagues in calling for the resignation of Secretary Noem:

We thank @RepHorsford for calling for the impeachment and removal of Sec Kristi Noem. After the cruelty we’ve witnessed in Minneapolis it is clear that Noem is not fit to lead and should be removed immediately. pic.twitter.com/YAjCDVmOEh

— Battle Born Progress (@BattleBornProg) January 26, 2026

Representative Dina Titus went further, comparing ICE agents to “secret police” in a January 24 statement: “ICE is acting like secret police, rounding up innocent people and ignoring citizens’ rights.” She voted against ICE funding on January 25 to “prevent agents from further terrorizing our communities” and criticized Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo for deploying the National Guard to assist deportations in August 2025. Titus has called for transparency in the Minneapolis incidents, urging Trump and Noem to provide details.

Representative Susie Lee expressed being “appalled” by the Good shooting, calling it “entirely preventable” due to inadequate training and accountability. On January 22, she voted against funding “lawless ICE activities,” noting Republicans’ rejection of reforms like mandatory warrants and body cameras. Lee also criticized new DHS rules for harming Nevada’s tourism economy by deterring visitors.

These positions align with broader and national Democratic efforts to hinder federal immigration enforcement, reminiscent of California-led challenges under Governor Gavin Newsom. 

For instance, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has mimicked Newsom by calling to “unmask” ICE agents. In a loss for Democrats, a federal judge recently ruled in favor of the Trump administration sharing Medicaid data with ICE, overruling a California-led lawsuit detailed here.  The Department of Justice has also intervened against California’s attempts to ban masked ICE agents, halting what was deemed an “unconstitutional” policy.

From Attorney General Aaron Ford: pic.twitter.com/pHolKSaIUW

— NV Attorney General (@NevadaAG) January 24, 2026

In a recent escalation, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed a lawsuit on January 12, 2026, against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other federal officials to halt “Operation Metro Surge,” a federal immigration enforcement initiative that deployed over 3,000 armed and masked agents into Minnesota since December 2025.  The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota (Case 0:26-cv-00190), argues that the operations violate federal and state law, infringe on state sovereignty, and have caused widespread harm, including diversion of local resources, erosion of community trust, school disruptions affecting 30,000 children, economic losses for businesses, and violent incidents like the fatal shootings and assaults. 

On January 22, 2026, a coalition of 20 Democratic attorneys general, led by California, filed an amicus brief in support of Minnesota’s lawsuit. The brief emphasizes the fundamental sovereignty of states under the U.S. Constitution, detailing how the federal actions harm public health, safety, education, and welfare. It highlights specific harms from the surge, such as over 80 911 calls related to federal actions in one week, agents concealing identities, illegal stops based on appearance, and threats to state policies like “sanctuary” jurisdictions. 

The AGs of DC, IL, CT, DE, HI, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, VT, and WA argued in 2024 that there's no 2A right to carry guns at "events involving political speech, like political rallies and protests" because they are "often targets of violence" https://t.co/471u7bqPEi pic.twitter.com/bN5KHgMf4e

— Rob Romano (@2Aupdates) January 25, 2026

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford joined this multistate amicus brief, aligning with attorneys general from states including Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.  Ford’s support underscores Nevada Democrats’ unified stance against ICE, further mimicking California’s resistance to federal enforcement.

Adding to the irony, Democrat lawmakers in California and elsewhere have passed legislation prohibiting civilians from carrying guns at protests and public gatherings, explicitly citing the potential for violence. In California, Governor Newsom signed SB 2 into law in 2023, which bans concealed carry at public gatherings or special events requiring permits—including protests—within 1,000 feet of the event. The bill’s findings highlight that armed demonstrations are five times more likely to turn violent (16% vs. 3% for unarmed ones), referencing studies on “Armed Assembly: Guns, Demonstrations, and Political Violence in America” to justify restrictions as necessary to protect the right to peaceably assemble and prevent escalation.  

These legal measures reflect a pattern in blue states where Democrats seek to disarm citizens at rallies to avert potential unrest, even as they decry armed federal agents enforcing immigration laws, while organized Democrat activists arm themselves in direct confrontations with law enforcement, often encouraged to resist federal enforcement by Democratic lawmakers.

DHS officials have dismissed related lawsuits as “frivolous and false,” per a recent Globe report. As Los Angeles County moves to create “ICE-Free Zones” on public property, Nevada’s lawmakers appear to be following suit, potentially escalating tensions with the federal government. 

With midterm elections looming, this unified front against ICE could resonate with progressive voters but risks alienating moderates concerned about border security and community safety. The Trump administration shows no signs of backing down, with Noem vowing to continue operations to “protect American communities” and Trump’s deployment of Border Czar Tom Homan to Minnesota.