Murkowski condemns Noem and ICE actions: ‘I think it is probably time for her to step down’

Alaska’s congressional delegation is split on its response to ICE actions in Minneapolis

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a Nashville press conference on July 18, 2025, to discuss arrests of immigrants during recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps. (John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)

By Claire Stremple

Alaska Beacon

Alaska’s senior Senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski, told reporters on Tuesday that Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem should “probably” step down. Murkowski is one of a handful of Senate Republicans calling for further investigation into the killing of U.S. citizens by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement personnel and ICE conduct in Minneapolis.

She is the second Republican in the U.S. Senate, after Thom Tillis of North Carolina, to call for Noem’s resignation.

“She has, through her words — and I think in her actions — she’s taken a direction that has not been helpful to the situation, and I don’t think that it helps the country,” Murkowski said.

“Accountability goes all the way to the top, and I think you have a secretary right now that needs to be accountable to the chaos and in some of the tragedy that we have seen,” she added.

Her comments come after a massive surge of federal agents has been operating in Minneapolis as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Their actions include an unknown number of arrests and two fatal shootings in three weeks, prompting widespread protests. 

Murkowski voted to confirm Noem’s appointment last January. Noem faces mounting bipartisan criticism after House Democrats co-sponsored articles of impeachment against her.

Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Nick Begich III did not immediately respond to questions about Noem’s leadership from the Alaska Beacon on Tuesday.

Murkowski has not supported calls from a faction of progressive Democrats in Congress to defund the agency. She voted in support of the Republican-drafted budget package earlier this year that sent almost $85 billion to the agency, giving it a larger budget than the U.S. Marine Corps.

“You’ve got all these cries to say, ‘We can’t give another penny to ICE.’ Well, the fact of the matter is ICE has the resources that they will need. What it comes down to is: What are they doing with the money? And that’s where it comes to the management, that’s when it comes to who is controlling it, that’s when it comes to who is ultimately in charge and accountable,” she said.

Congressional response to ICE action in Minneapolis

Alaska’s congressional delegation is split in its response to the ICE action and the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend. 

In a Sunday statement, Murkowski called for a “comprehensive, independent investigation” of the killing, which she said is necessary to build back public trust. Her statement called on Congressional committees to fulfill their oversight duties in hearings. 

“ICE agents do not have carte blanche in carrying out their duties,” she said in the statement.

“The tragedy and chaos the country is witnessing in Minneapolis is shocking,” Murkowski’s statement said, and added that the killing of another U.S. citizen “should raise serious questions within the administration about the adequacy of immigration-enforcement training and the instructions officers are given on carrying out their mission.”

Sullivan’s office is closely monitoring reports out of Minneapolis following the fatal shooting,  according to a statement through spokesperson Devyn Shea. Sullivan stopped short of calling for an independent investigation of ICE actions. 

“He believes we should gather all the facts and investigate the incident before drawing conclusions — to ensure accountability, restore public trust, and prevent future confrontations that result in loss of life,” his spokesperson wrote.

“Senator Sullivan strongly supports our law enforcement and their ability to do their jobs. He also believes that any loss of life is tragic and hopes that the temperature in Minnesota on both sides can be lowered and that the situation between protestors and law enforcement deescalates and the violence dissipates,” the statement said.

Silver Prout, a spokesperson for Begich’s office, said he will not speculate, but “allow facts to be established through appropriate investigative processes.”

“Congressman Begich supports law enforcement’s ability to carry out their duties safely and without interference from agitators,” Prout wrote on Tuesday. “This includes a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in the commission of those duties.”

Prout said Begich supports “appropriate” Congressional oversight of federal law enforcement and that safe communities are a top priority of Begich’s.

“If anything, recent events have underscored the need for additional funding to ensure law enforcement has the tools, personnel, and training needed to complete their job,” she wrote.

Congressional candidates speak out

Some congressional candidates have issued statements in response to the violence and unrest in Minneapolis.

Former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat challenging Sullivan, called for an independent investigation into the death of Alex Pretti, as well as increased Congressional oversight for ICE and funding for local law enforcement in Alaska.

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our communities,” she wrote on social media on Monday.

“What’s happening right now in the Lower 48 does nothing to make us safer here in Alaska. In Alaska, we respect the rule of law and lawfully carrying a firearm never justifies deadly force by federal agents,” the post said.

On Monday, the campaign of Democratic candidate Matt Schultz, who is challenging Rep. Begich for Alaska’s sole House seat, called on Congress to respond to the killings of U.S. citizens by ICE.

The statement urged that ICE be withdrawn from Minnesota and for its personnel to be better trained. It accused the Trump administration of deploying them “as a cudgel for settling petty partisan grudges.” 

“I’m troubled by the silence and inaction of too many of our leaders here in Alaska,” the statement said, specifically attacking Begich and another candidate, independent Bill Hill. “It is time to speak up and show up for our fellow Americans, immigrants, and the Bill of Rights.”

Hill gave a statement on social media on Monday, saying that Americans should be able to exercise their 1st and 2nd Amendment rights without “being killed by their government.”

“Our congressman needs to stand up and fight for an independent investigation into the shooting of Alex Pretti. Until that happens, ICE should get the hell out of Minneapolis,” the statement said.

• Corinne Smith and James Brooks contributed reporting to this story.