Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has strongly slammed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanded the resignation or removal of top Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials after recent unrest. Sanders, who is regarded as one of the pioneering leaders of the modern American progressive movement, took to X on January 28 to call for the immediate resignation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller.
“Kristi Noem AND Stephen Miller must go,” the 84-year-old wrote alongside a video condemning the latest ICE actions.
“America is not and must never be about federal agents shooting American citizens down in cold blood, breaking down doors to arrest people, or sending five-year-olds to detention centers, all in clear violation of our Constitution,” he said.
Kristi Noem AND Stephen Miller must go. pic.twitter.com/eMbdCm1fgk
— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 28, 2026
According to Benzinga, Bernie Sanders further added, “Not another penny should be given to ICE or Customs and Border Patrol, unless there are fundamental reforms in how those agencies function.”
His statement clearly expressed his disappointment with ICE, which he said has repeatedly undermined the core principles of democracy through abrupt threats, abuse, detention and deportation, placing the foundational values of the United States in jeopardy.
In addition, the senator described ICE as “a domestic military force” and accused agents of “terrorizing” communities while occupying American cities as if under military control.
I want to thank our courageous friends in Minnesota who — in below freezing temperatures — are standing up to ICE. The American people want democracy and justice, not authoritarianism. When we stand together we win. pic.twitter.com/KXCy6eJsYO
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 24, 2026
While ICE actions have been controversial since President Donald Trump announced his mass deportation policy after returning to power in 2025, their conduct drew intense scrutiny after an ICE agent, Jonathan Ross, fatally shot 37-year-old Renée Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen, on January 7 in Minneapolis.
Good, who worked as a preschool teacher and lived in Minneapolis with her partner, was in her SUV when ICE officers approached her during a federal enforcement operation. Video footage from bystanders and agency reports indicate multiple shots were fired into her vehicle; local officials have disputed parts of the federal account of the incident.
Recent statements from the U.S. Department of Justice confirm that the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will not open a criminal civil rights investigation into the shooting, and no charges have been brought against the agent involved. An FBI probe continues, but state investigators were reportedly blocked from accessing evidence. Lawsuits have been filed against ICE after protests broke out in Minneapolis over the incident.
Alex Pretti did not deserve to die.
Renee Nicole Good did not deserve to die.
Enough is enough.
ALL of ICE out of Minnesota now.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 27, 2026
As the nation was processing the tragic shooting, a second shooting also occurred on January 24, adding to community distress. Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an intensive care nurse for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, was fatally shot by ICE.
According to the BBC, two officers involved in the incident that led to Pretti’s shooting have been placed on administrative leave as investigations continue. Kristi Noem stated that Pretti was shot after allegedly brandishing a gun.
However, local authorities and Pretti’s family dismissed the claim, saying his firearm was legally owned and had been removed before the shooting.
The controversy in Minneapolis has sparked a broader backlash among Democratic lawmakers, many of whom are now demanding accountability at the highest levels of the department.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Kristi Noem’s leadership “incompetent” and urged her removal. Similarly, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly further announced he would oppose funding for DHS unless changes are made. Demonstrators have urged ICE to leave the city.
Two Americans are dead at the hands of federal immigration officers.
That’s why I won’t vote for the DHS budget. That’s why Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller need to go. And that’s why we have to rein in ICE and stop this. pic.twitter.com/XcWMfUvJKU
— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) January 28, 2026
Business leaders from major Minnesota companies, along with Governor Tim Walz and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, also joined the calls for resignation.
Meanwhile, the existing protests have also spread beyond Minneapolis and Texas, and clashes erupted between protesters and state and federal officers outside a detention facility housing some individuals relocated from Minnesota.
As the situation remains fragile, the upcoming days will play a crucial role in determining the fate of the long-standing political chaos in America.
