Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson blamed Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Macklin Good by federal immigration agents during the recent immigration enforcement action in Minnesota.

The comments came in a heated exchange Thursday at a U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing.

“I, as a government official, would have said, ‘Back off. Let us work with ICE, let’s cooperate with them, let’s see if we can’t de-escalate this,’” Johnson said. “But Attorney General (Ellison), you did the exact opposite, and two people are dead because you encouraged them to put themselves into harm’s way.”

Johnson castigated Ellison for what Johnson called a “smirk.”

“Everything you said was untrue,” Ellison said in response. “It was a nice theatrical performance, but it was all lies.” 

“You disgust me,” Johnson replied.

Johnson has accused Democrats of encouraging residents to interfere with federal immigration actions in Minnesota. During Thursday’s hearing, Ellison also took exception to Johnson’s claims that he encouraged people to “put themselves into harm’s way” to impede federal immigration agents in Minnesota.

Ellison said that “never happened.”

“We at all times said if you want to protest, protest peacefully, protest safely,” Ellison said.

Brian Evans, a spokesperson for the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General, wrote in an email that Ellison has “always and only encouraged Minnesotans to peacefully protest, lawfully document the activities of DHS (Department of Homeland Security) agents, and take care of their neighbors who are suffering due to Operation Metro Surge. “

“Any claims to the contrary are simply untrue,” Evans wrote in the email.

The hearing came as Trump administration border czar Tom Homan announced the administration will end its enforcement action in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Milwaukee officials seek to address local concerns

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Common Council is introducing local legislation to prepare for any potential escalation of federal immigration enforcement in the community in the future. 

The legislative package, which the council has titled “ICE Out Milwaukee,” was discussed by alders and immigrant rights advocates during a press conference Wednesday.

One proposal would seek to require all law enforcement officers interacting with residents in the city to be unmasked and to display identification. Another would prohibit ICE agents from staging on city property.

“We can’t wait until we’re under siege,” Milwaukee Common Council President Jose Perez said at the press conference.

Milwaukee Alder JoCasta Zamarripa said the council is “taking preemptive action today to protect Milwaukeeans from ICE.” 

Alder Marina Dimitrijevic also discussed the creation of a new city office to welcome immigrants and other newcomers to Milwaukee. She said it would be a place to offer them resources like workforce training and information on schools and hospitals.

The introduction of the city legislation comes as Milwaukee County has already passed a measure to prohibit federal immigration enforcement agents from staging in county parks without prior authorization. That ordinance was passed by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors last week.

Milwaukee’s goal to unmask federal law enforcement agents comes days after a judge blocked a California law that sought to require federal agents to remove their masks during operations, according to a Politico report.

“We do not believe that any secret police should have any covering at any time, that their identification should be always out in public as a form of authority,” Dimitrijevic said. “That is what we’re trying to change here.” 

A spokesperson for the Milwaukee Police Department said officers with the department are “not allowed to conceal their identity by policy.”

In a statement, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin called the proposed legislation “legally illiterate.”

“Enforcing federal immigration laws is a clear federal responsibility under Article I, Article II and the Supremacy Clause,” McLaughlin wrote in the statement.

Regarding masks, McLaughlin said officers wear them to “protect themselves from being doxxed and targeted by known and suspected terrorist sympathizers.”

Milwaukee Police Association President Alexander Ayala said he’d also like to see more details of the proposed legislation. In an interview with WPR, he said there’s a “slew” of federal agencies the Milwaukee Police Department already assists, including the FBI and the DEA.

If officers with the Milwaukee Police Department were to respond to a large protest or respond to a call for backup from federal immigration agents, Ayala said officers would “set order.”

“We’re there obviously to protect the citizens, but we’re not there to arrest ICE agents,” Ayala said. “We have a duty to help out federal agents.”