Johnson alleges Democrats fueling dangerous ICE standoffs to create ‘martyrs’

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) issued a provocative claim on Tuesday, February 10, suggesting that Democratic lawmakers wanted federal agents to kill protesters to create "martyrs" for their political cause. During an interview on CNBC, Johnson addressed the ongoing congressional deadlock over a Department of Homeland Security funding bill, specifically focusing on the recent fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

The Senator argued that elected officials on the left have intentionally encouraged "trained activists" to obstruct legal law enforcement actions. "They knew that those people were in danger, and they got their martyrs, didn’t they?" Johnson asked, labeling the alleged strategy as "sick."

Inadequate training for organized activists

Addressing questions from CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin about whether ICE agents are properly equipped to manage protesters, Johnson contended that the agency is confronting a novel and escalating threat environment. He argued that agents "haven’t been training to deal with trained activists" who are showing up to protests with semi-automatic pistols and additional ammunition.

Johnson framed the current conflict as a deliberate attempt by the Democratic Party to "neuter ICE’s ability to enforce our immigration laws." He claimed that the opposition to Republican funding proposals is a continuation of a "wide open" border policy that has allowed millions, including hundreds of thousands with criminal convictions, to enter the country unchecked.

Deaths of Pretti and Good

The Senator’s remarks follow two high-profile fatal shootings by ICE agents in recent weeks. Most recently, Alex Pretti was killed during a scuffle that erupted when he attempted to assist a woman who had been pushed to the ground. While Pretti was legally armed with a holstered handgun, footage of the incident appeared to show an agent disarming him before he was shot multiple times.

The shooting of Pretti followed the death of Renee Good, who was also killed by ICE agents just days earlier. Johnson described Pretti’s death as "horrific" but shifted the blame toward the organizers and elected officials who "encouraged" him to put himself in a dangerous position to impede federal operations.

Sympathy for agents cleaning 'mess'

Despite the controversy surrounding recent enforcement actions by federal agents, Senator Ron Johnson expressed "a great deal of sympathy" for ICE personnel tasked with managing the border, saying they are working to "clean up a mess" created by high levels of unauthorized arrivals, asserting that 650,000 immigrants convicted of crimes, including murder and homicide, are now in the country.

Johnson maintained that the primary goal of the Democratic platform is to maintain open borders, even at the cost of public safety and the lives of their own supporters. He urged the public to face the "sick reality" that activists are being used as pawns to obstruct federal law enforcement.

Funding bill remains in deadlock

The heated rhetoric underscores the deep divisions in Congress as lawmakers struggle to pass a new DHS funding bill. Democrats have remained firm in their opposition to Republican proposals that increase funding for ICE and border enforcement, often citing the recent shootings as evidence of a need for systemic reform rather than expansion.