Sam Drysdale
State House News Service

Three Republicans seeking the corner office at the Massachusetts State House answered Minnesota's deadly ICE shootings with calls for order and accountability, but split over remedies, rhetoric, and responsibility.

The statements from Brian Shortsleeve, Mike Kennealy, and Mike Minogue were provided to the State House News Service after the outlet reached out to the campaigns; none of the candidates publicly posted their responses after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens as immigration officers have surged into Minnesota.

All three candidates described the killing of Alex Pretti as a "tragedy." Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at a Minneapolis Veterans Administration hospital, was killed Saturday, January 24 by federal agents amidst continuing protests in Minnesota.

The candidates all emphasized public safety and accountability, and called for investigations — language that overlaps in part with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's. But similarities largely end there, as each Republican gubernatorial candidate staked out a distinct lane on immigration enforcement, political blame, and the scope of federal involvement.

Healey has demanded that Kristi Noem resign as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, and alleged agencies under her purview are "harming public safety" and violating the federal constitution.

Shortsleeve, a former Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority administrator, struck a procedural tone. 

"What happened on Saturday was a tragedy that demands a full and independent investigation, as should occur anytime there is an officer-involved shooting, to ensure accountability and improve protocols so it never happens again," Shortsleeve said in reference to the deadly encounter between federal agents and Pretti. 

Shortsleeve was also explicit in pointing to de-escalation, saying he was "pleased that Gov. Walz and President Trump had a productive call yesterday, are working to cool tensions on both sides."

Shortsleeve went further than the other candidates in suggesting that Walz and Trump "may have a path forward for reducing ICE's presence in Minnesota neighborhoods while restoring much needed cooperation between local and federal officials on deporting known criminals."

Shortsleeve framed that approach as one that "protects due process" while allowing law enforcement to focus on "deporting the worst of the worst," rhetoric that partially echoes Healey's repeated assertion that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement should focus on getting "dangerous criminals" off the streets.

Kennealy, who served as housing and economic development secretary under former Governor Charlie Baker, used his response to go on offense against Healey. 

"Maura Healey has no credibility on the issue of immigration, after her administration managed shelters where citizens and migrants were victims of horrific crimes and billions of taxpayer dollars were lost," Kennealy said. 

Unlike Shortsleeve and Minogue, Kennealy made no reference to the Walz-Trump call or to calming tensions.

On investigations, however, Kennealy's language closely paralleled both Shortsleeve's and Healey's calls for accountability. 

"Any time there is an incident where law enforcement uses lethal force, there should be a full, transparent investigation with findings made public to ensure accountability and strengthen trust," Kennealy said, adding, "That should certainly happen in this tragic instance."

Kennealy's call for a full, transparent investigation stops short of Healey's claims that ICE leadership has violated constitutional norms.

Minogue, a GOP booster and businessman who has most openly aligned himself with President Donald Trump, blended hardline rhetoric with an appeal for restraint.

Minogue began his statement by noting that he and his wife, Renee, are "praying for Alex Pretti and his family, and we mourn the loss of his life." Minogue is the only Republican candidate who mentioned Pretti by name.

"We are a nation of law and order, and violence of any kind must not become normalized," Minogue said, stressing that officers "should not be exposed to risk for enforcing immigration laws and removing violent criminal illegal immigrants." 

At the same time, Minogue added that enforcement "must be done while honoring our core American values, including the right to assemble peacefully."

Newly surfaced video footage shows Pretti at an anti-ICE protest about 11 days before he was killed, where officers appeared to grab Pretti and tackle him to the ground after he kicked the taillight on one of their sport utility vehicles. Pretti's killing followed an earlier fatal encounter in January in which 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent, fueling broad national protests and criticism of federal immigration enforcement tactics.

Like the other candidates for governor of Massachusetts, Minogue called for scrutiny, saying, "This incident deserves a thorough and transparent investigation." He also pointed to the Walz-Trump call, saying he was "encouraged to see the president and governor of Minnesota talking with the goal of transparency, deescalating the situation, and finding a solution that keeps law enforcement and citizens safe." 

Healey has framed the shootings as evidence that ICE is "out of control," repeatedly saying "Kristi Noem has got to go" and accusing the administration of lying about what videos show. While all three Republicans echoed her call for investigations, none adopted her confrontational posture toward federal leadership.

In its initial statement on the shooting, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said agents acted in self-defense. Noem said Pretti "approached" officers with a "9mm semi-automatic handgun" and "reacted violently" when they tried to disarm him, prompting an officer to fire "defensive shots." 

Eyewitnesses and video footage have reportedly countered that narrative, saying Pretti was documenting the scene by videotaping with his cell phone and wasn't seen reaching for his handgun, which he had a license to carry. 

"As bad as it was to see the killing of Alex Pretti and the manner of that killing, what was really bad, really bad too, is to see the White House immediately try to tell us that we weren't seeing what we all were seeing," Healey said at a press conference on Wednesday. "And to come out with lie upon lie upon lie."