Here’s what California leaders said about latest Minneapolis killing

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday called for U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to resign and Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino to be fired a day after federal immigration enforcement officers shot at another U.S. citizen in Minneapolis multiple times, killing him.

Weeks after the death of Renee Good, Border Patrol agents killed Alex Pretti on Friday, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. During an altercation in which Pretti was observing and documenting federal agents beforehand, multiple officers tackled Pretti to the ground. Pretti reportedly had a gun, for which he had a lawful permit to carry. After one agent took away the gun while Pretti was pinned on the ground, officers appear to have fired at him at least 10 times.

Immediately after the shooting, members of the Trump administration called Pretti a domestic terrorist. First Assistant U.S. Attorney and former California Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli defended the agents, arguing that there “is a high likelihood” law enforcement officers “will be legally justified in shooting you” if you approach them with a gun — an assertion that the National Rifle Association called “dangerous and wrong.”

On Sunday President Donald Trump also blamed Democrats and sanctuary laws, such as those in California, for the two deaths in Minneapolis.

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In response, Newsom called for Border Patrol officers to return to the border, ending the militarization of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and investigations into “every single federal agent who is breaking the law.” His office also posted a know-your-rights guide for dealing with local police and immigration enforcement officers.

But the governor’s statements are part of a political calculus that is playing out as he makes a likely bid for the presidency. After Good’s death, Newsom’s team responded that ICE is “state sponsored terrorism.” Newsom eventually walked back this description during an interview with conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.

Meanwhile, as Congress weighs a spending deal that would include billions of dollars more for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Assemblymember Isaac Bryan of Culver City called for a general strike to oppose ICE, similar to the large-scale walkout organized in Minneapolis.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta also filed a brief supporting Minnesota’s lawsuit opposing the federal government’s immigration campaign in the state. Along with 19 other attorneys general, the brief argued that the “government’s unlawful conduct … infringes upon (Minnesota’s) constitutionally-guaranteed state sovereignty,” and that without legal intervention the government “will no doubt threaten other States and local communities across the nation.”

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.