Key Points
- Two U.S. citizens were fatally shot during federal immigration operations in Minneapolis in January 2026.
- Rep. Tenney (R-NY24) defended the operations and criticized protesters; Rep. Langworthy (R-NY23) has remained silent.
- Both support increased funding for ICE, and both co-sponsored strict immigration enforcement legislation.
- Langworthy and Tenney previously proposed converting the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station into an ICE detention and deportation hub.
- Recent polling shows broad public disapproval of ICE tactics, creating potential risks for re-election for Langworthy and Tenney.
U.S. Representatives Nick Langworthy (R-NY23) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY24) are strong advocates for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They support more funding and wider operations for the agency. One key example of their support is their proposal to turn the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station into a site for detention and deportations. Their positions on immigration align closely with the Trump administration’s tough immigration policies.
At the same time, two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents (ICE and Border Patrol) in Minneapolis have drawn sharp criticism and widespread public condemnation.. The shootings occurred during operations tied to immigration enforcement policies, raising serious questions about oversight and accountability.
Their Niagara Falls Air Base Proposal
Back in February 2025, Langworthy and Tenney sent a joint letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. They urged the Department of Defense to let ICE use the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS). Their plan included adding detention beds and making the base a starting point for deportation flights. The existing Batavia detention facility handles a high volume of immigration cases. Adding NFARS capacity would significantly expand detention and deportation operations in Western New York.
In a press release, Tenney expressed clear support: “I am so grateful to the ICE agents who are stepping up to protect our nation… Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station can play a valuable role in hosting detention beds and serving as a point of departure for deportations, supporting ICE’s work in deporting these criminals.”
Langworthy had recently met with ICE officials in Buffalo. He pointed out that the nearby Batavia processing center was nearing capacity. In his view, the NFARS proposal would “help ensure [ICE] can continue to swiftly execute the President’s orders” for removing people described as criminal non-citizens. Overall, the idea directly supported President Trump’s mass deportation efforts.
Support for ICE
Both representatives have backed measures to increase ICE resources. Langworthy praised the House Republican DHS appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026, noting its strong emphasis on border security and enforcement. Tenney has voted for previous Department of Homeland Security funding bills that maintained or boosted ICE budgets for detention and removals.
On her congressional website, Tenney details her immigration priorities. She highlights coordination with the Trump administration and Border Czar Tom Homan. She has co-sponsored laws like the Laken Riley Act, which requires detention for certain non-citizens accused of crimes. She also supported Sarah’s Law and bills aimed at deporting gang members and serious offenders.
Tenney and Langworthy both voted for H.R. 2, the “Secure the Border Act of 2023“. Langworthy introduced the “SAFER at the Border Act” to block terrorist entry. And Langworthy has frequently criticized sanctuary cities.
The Fatal Shootings in Minneapolis
Meanwhile, federal enforcement actions in Minneapolis this January resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens.
On January 7, Customs and Border Protection agents fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 41-year-old mother of three. Officials claim the use of force was justified. However, witness accounts and video analysis suggest otherwise.
Then, on January 24, ICE agents killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti. He was also a U.S. citizen employed as an ICU nurse for the Veterans’ Administration. DHS initially described Pretti as a threat to ICE officers. But video footage and eyewitness reports indicate he was coming to the aid of a woman who had been pushed to the ground when he was shot 11 times by two different ICE agents who are now on administrative leave. Both shootings triggered large protests in Minneapolis.
The shootings happened as part of a broader multi-agency DHS operation. It involved ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents targeting Somali and Latino communities. The ACLU has filed lawsuits alleging warrantless arrests, racial profiling, and interference with local investigations. Federal officials have released limited details, citing ongoing reviews.
Tenney’s Response and Langworthy’s Silence
On January 27, 2026, Rep. Claudia Tenney commented on the Minnesota events during a media event in Batavia, New York (above), following the latest ICE shooting in Minneapolis. She called the shooting tragic yet emphasized how protesters heighten the risks of violence during federal operations.
“I think people should be, you know, really think twice about going out and trying to protest and interfere in these dangerous operations,” Tenney said. “They are not going after people who are, you know, innocent.”
She also raised the possibility of paid outside agitators posing as protestors: “It’s a tragedy that people are being, you know, either ginned up or getting paid, or there’s some kind of grassroots effort. We don’t know. We think it’s Astroturf (a term referring to fake or manufactured grassroots activism funded by external interests). There’s money and logistics behind getting people to show up to protest against law enforcement in a very dangerous job, in a very hostile situation.”
Tenney stressed the importance of respecting authority: “Nobody should lose their life, and they should not be confronting law enforcement. They should be respectful… You do not interfere with a police officer that is acting pursuant to a legal warrant and a lawful warrant, which these are.” (ICE often relies on administrative warrants issued by immigration officers, not judicial warrants signed by judges. Federal law permits the use of administrative warrants for arrests and detention, but they do not allow the use of administrative warrants to force entry into homes, unlike judicial warrants.)
Tenney endorsed Border Czar Tom Homan’s involvement: “We should have a full all-of-government approach, federal, state, local. Should all look in it. That’s why Tom Homan is going out there.”
As of now, Rep. Langworthy has issued no public statement on the shootings in Minneapolis although he did say in a January 26th WENY article related to Department of Homeland Security funding: “I mean, anytime you have lethal force used by an officer that’s standard operating procedure and I know that is proceeding in the state of Minnesota but the temperature in Minnesota has to turn down.”
Implications for 2026 Elections
The Minnesota ICE enforcement operations are part of a larger enforcement surge under the Trump administration. Langworthy and Tenney support these policies through their own proposals for the Niagara Falls Airbase, their votes in favor of increased funding for the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, and their public statements.
Both Langworthy’s NY23 and Tenney’s NY24 congressional districts are solid Republican, according to the Cook Political Report. Langworthy won NY-23 in 2022 with roughly 65% of the votes cast and in 2024 with about 65.8%, although he won the 2022 Republican primary by a small margin and only after a last-minute influx of a million dollars in dark money against his primary opponent. Tenney won NY-24 in 2024. Still, Tenney lost re-election in her previous district (the former NY-22) in 2018 before winning the 2020 election. Rural upstate races can be competitive even in heavily Republican districts, as Tenney learned in 2018, and as one-term Republican Representative Brandon Williams learned when he lost re-election to Democrat John Mannion in 2024.
The Minnesota shootings have gained national attention. Circulating video evidence and protests have intensified debates over ICE enforcement tactics, use-of-force rules, and accountability. Scrutiny of ICE unfolds as Langworthy and Tenney continue to push for more resources for ICE.
Heading into the 2026 election, recent polls highlight possible risks for Langworthy and Tenney. A New York Times/Siena survey showed 63% of registered voters disapproved of ICE’s performance. Another 61% said ICE tactics have gone too far. These numbers could give Democratic challengers a strong issue to rally independents and moderates against Republican incumbents.
References
- Congressional press releases: langworthy.house.gov, tenney.house.gov
- Election results: New York State Board of Elections, Associated Press
- Minnesota reporting: Minneapolis Star Tribune, Associated Press, ACLU statements
- Tenney remarks: RochesterFirst (WROC) and local outlets
- Polling: New York Times/Siena College (January 2026)
- Warrant law: 8 U.S.C. § 1357 and federal case law.
