Murdoch-Owned Newspapers and Former President Clinton Call for End to Trump's Minnesota Immigration Crackdown
In a significant development that highlights growing concern over immigration enforcement tactics, two major newspapers owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch have joined former President Bill Clinton in urging President Donald Trump to halt his aggressive immigration operation in Minnesota. This comes following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis this weekend.
Murdoch Papers Issue Unusual Editorial Call for Pause
The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed titled "Time for ICE to Pause in Minneapolis" that directly warned President Trump about the political consequences of continuing his current approach. The editorial described Pretti's killing as "the worst incident to date in what is becoming a moral and political debacle" for the Trump presidency.
Similarly, The New York Post joined in calling for a cessation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in the Minneapolis area. This represents a notable departure from the typically supportive stance these Murdoch-owned publications have taken toward Trump's immigration policies, suggesting the Australian media mogul may be privately urging the president to reconsider his strategy.
Family of Previous Victim Speaks Out
The family of Renee Good, a poet and mother of three who was shot and killed by an ICE agent earlier this month, issued a powerful statement following Pretti's death. "The events of this weekend in Minneapolis are terrifying, deeply disturbing, and heartbreaking," the family wrote in a statement obtained by CBS News.
They emphasized that Pretti was "yet another U.S. citizen losing their life while taking part in the time-honored and Constitutionally protected activity of being present to observe and peacefully advocate for their beliefs." The family urged Americans to "trust their own eyes as they interpret the horrific video" and called for "an absolute end to ICE activity in Minneapolis."
Bill Clinton Condemns Federal Actions as "Unacceptable"
Former President Bill Clinton became the second former president this weekend to speak out against what he called "horrible" scenes in Minnesota. In a post shared on social media platform X, Clinton wrote: "All of this is unacceptable and should have been avoided."
Clinton criticized administration officials for having "lied to us, told us not to believe what we've seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics, including impeding investigations by local authorities." He warned that this represents a pivotal moment for Americans to protect their freedoms, stating: "If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back."
Trump's Response and Internal Tensions
President Trump, in a brief phone interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, refused to condemn the federal agent involved in Pretti's killing, saying only: "We're looking, we're reviewing everything and will come out with a determination." Other administration officials have publicly defended the agent's actions.
The president did signal that federal agents would eventually withdraw from Minneapolis, stating: "At some point, we will leave. We've done, they've done a phenomenal job."
Meanwhile, internal tensions within the Republican Party have surfaced, with recordings obtained by Axios reportedly capturing Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) describing how upset Trump became when GOP lawmakers tried to dissuade him from imposing tariffs. According to the recordings, Trump allegedly told Cruz "Fuck you, Ted" when the senator warned about potential electoral backlash.
A Cruz spokesperson described the senator as "the president's greatest ally in the Senate," while the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Clinton's statements or the growing calls to end the Minnesota immigration crackdown.
