Sherrod Brown criticizes ICE, Republicans call out his ‘pro-illegal immigrant past’
Former Ohio Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is hoping to return to the U.S. Senate, criticized ICE for the Saturday shooting death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, joining other Democrats from Ohio who criticized the immigration authorities right away.
His critics say his position is nothing new.
“The killing of Alex Pretti was wrong and immoral. We can see it with our own eyes. There must be a full investigation into what has happened,” Brown wrote on X. “ICE’s actions, directed by the White House and its enablers, have nothing to do with keeping communities safe by going after violent criminals and human traffickers. This targeting of innocent families and our citizens is a betrayal of American values. It needs to end now.”
The killing of Alex Pretti was wrong and immoral. We can see it with our own eyes. There must be a full investigation into what has happened.
ICE’s actions, directed by the White House and its enablers, have nothing to do with keeping communities safe by going after violent…
— Sherrod Brown (@SherrodBrown) January 26, 2026
Before Brown published his post on X, Ohio.News contacted Brown’s campaign about the recent killing, but the campaign officials did not respond to the request for comment.
Republicans were quick to note that Brown has a track record of opposing ICE and supporting illegal immigrants, including previously suggesting that ICE used a 5-year-old boy as bait to detain and deport his father. ICE disputed the assertion, with officials telling ABC News the boy’s father abandoned him.
Brown also supported the Democrats’ government shutdown to give free healthcare to illegals, fought to overturn President Donald Trump’s executive order prioritizing the deportation of criminal illegals, and cracking down on dangerous sanctuary cities, and voted against restarting border wall construction, hiring more border patrol agents, ending catch and release, and strengthening and streamlining the asylum process.
Brown, who previously called the border wall “a stupid idea,” voted to let former President Joe Biden cancel contracts to build the wall. Brown also supported many other initiatives opposing immigration agencies or supporting illegal immigrants, Republicans said.
“Sherrod Brown can hide from the news cycle, but he can’t run from his pro-illegal immigrant past,” the Republican National Committee Spokeswoman Delanie Bomar told Ohio.News. “Voters already rejected Brown for prioritizing illegals above Ohioans’ needs, and they’re ready to do it again this November.”
While Brown took his time to respond to the recent news, many of his Ohio Democratic colleagues responded immediately, criticizing federal immigration authorities. Among them were gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and U.S. Reps. Greg Landsman, Joyce Beatty, Marcy Kaptur, and Emilia Sykes.
U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, also claimed that ICE “brutally killed” Pretti, even though it was a Border Patrol official who did it.
One day later, she also suggested that the real reason why the federal officials are in Minneapolis right now is not that they want to deport illegal immigrants, but because they want access to the state’s voter rolls. The congresswoman, who previously opposed ICE as well, also voted against funding the immigration agency right before the Border Patrol killed Pretti.
