New York Representative Laura Gillen has dramatically changed her tune on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in just a matter of days. On Thursday, she was one of only seven Democrats to vote “yes” on a bill to give the agency billions in funding. By Sunday, she was calling for the agency’s leader, Secretary Kristi Noem, to be fired immediately.
The sudden shift came after news broke of a fatal shooting in Minneapolis. On Saturday, Alex Pretti was shot and killed during a confrontation with federal agents.
READ: Border Patrol Chief On Deadly Minnesota Shooting: “The Border Agents Are The Victims”
Gillen took to X on Sunday to voice her outrage. “Another U.S. citizen has been killed at the hands of ICE and there must be accountability, which is why Secretary Noem must be impeached immediately,” she wrote.
However, Gillen’s post contained a major error. Reports indicate that Pretti was shot by Border Patrol agents, not ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). While both groups are part of DHS and answer to Noem, they are separate agencies with different jobs.
Gillen didn’t let that distinction stop her from going after the Secretary.
“Under her leadership, ICE has targeted U.S. citizens and children and killed Americans,” Gillen added in her post. “She is not focused on safety or border security; she’s focused on chaos and self-promotion.”
READ: Minnesota Gov. Walz Calls Feds Official Story “Nonsense” After Deadly Shooting
A Confusing Signal
The demand for impeachment is a sharp turn for Gillen. Just three days earlier, she broke ranks with most of her party to support the DHS funding bill. The bill is part of a larger package needed to keep the government open past January 30. If it doesn’t pass, the U.S. faces a partial government shutdown.
When she explained her “yes” vote on Thursday, Gillen sounded much more supportive of the agency’s work. She criticized her fellow Democrats for trying to block the money.
“I’m shocked my colleagues would vote to cut off national and community security funding while leaving ICE to operate under the status quo,” she said in a statement at the time. She argued that the bill included “commonsense guardrails” and necessary money for immigration enforcement.
Now, that same enforcement is what she is railing against.
READ: Anti-ICE Protesters Barricade Entire Blocks In Minneapolis As Police Appear To Be MIA
Walking a Fine Line
Gillen represents a “swing district” in Nassau County, Long Island. It’s a tough spot where voters are split almost evenly between Democrats and Republicans. In 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just a single percentage point.
Because of this, Gillen often tries to show she is tough on border issues. In January 2025, she voted for the Laken Riley Act, a law signed by President Donald Trump that forces federal authorities to detain undocumented immigrants who commit certain crimes. At the time, she called it a “bipartisan bill to keep our communities safe.”
But the shooting of Alex Pretti has complicated things. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other top Democrats have turned against the funding bill because of the incident. This leaves Gillen in an awkward position: she voted to fund the very department she now says is out of control.
Gillen’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment on the mix-up in her tweet or her sudden change of heart.
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