"Mercenary Mentality": Training of Federal ICE Agents Under Fire After Killing of Two Americans in Minneapolis

The Trump administration is facing a firestorm of criticism over the conduct of federal immigration agents (ICE) following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretty and Renee Goode in Minneapolis. The deaths have highlighted a controversial shift in training protocols, where the standard 5-month program was slashed to just 42 days to rapidly expand the force to 22,000 agents. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has called for the immediate withdrawal of these "untrained agents" to prevent further loss of life.

While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defends its "streamlined" training as technologically advanced and sufficient, security experts warn of a "high-risk situation." Critics argue that deploying border agents—accustomed to remote desert operations—into dense urban environments creates a dangerous mismatch of skills. Residents and local officials have described the masked federal presence as an "occupying force" acting with perceived total impunity, further straining the relationship between the White House and Democratic-led cities.