Alex Pretti's death takes a toll on Suozzi, LI delegation

Daily Point

Amid ICE backlash and talk of primary challenges, Suozzi says he regrets voting to fund DHS and Gillen says Noem must be impeached

The killing of Alex Pretti by federal Border Patrol agents in Minnesota, which is upending the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation policies, has also embroiled all four members of Long Island’s congressional delegation.

Amid intense criticism, CD3’s Tom Suozzi on Monday apologized for his vote last week to fund the Department of Homeland Security. He was one of seven Democrats — CD4’s Laura Gillen was another — who crossed party lines Thursday to support the appropriations bills that would include funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. Suozzi and Gillen, both members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, are in swing House seats and Republican targets this fall.

While progressives criticized the votes at the time, the many videos two days later showing Border Patrol agents pumping bullets into Pretti after he was already subdued escalated the anger in the party. The pushback on Suozzi and Gillen was swift and strong, with talk of Democrats primarying both.

"I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis," Suozzi wrote Monday in a statement. "I hear the anger from my constituents, and I take responsibility for that. I have long been critical of ICE’s unlawful behavior and I must do a better job demonstrating that."

Gillen posted on social media Sunday that Noem "must be impeached immediately." In a statement Monday, Gillen again called for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s impeachment "to restore order and accountability at DHS and guarantee safety in our communities ..." But she defended her funding vote saying important guardrails on ICE were included. "Opposing it would have cut off funds to FEMA, TSA and the Coast Guard, while allowing ICE to continue operating under the status quo because of a previous $75 billion windfall from Republicans in Congress," Gillen said.

State and Nassau County Democratic Party chair Jay Jacobs told The Point that frustration with the two Democrats is intense.

"People are rightfully angry but since they can’t impeach Trump, it’s directed at our party. They want us to come up with answers to stop Trump." Jacobs said both Gillen and Suozzi "have some cleanup to do," adding that LI’s two GOP House members have to be concerned as well. "The polling shows independents are overwhelmingly leaving Trump and that has to be worrisome for [Reps. Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino.]"

Southold Town Democratic Party chair Kathryn Casey Quigley, who is running a primary against Suffolk party chair Rich Schaffer, told The Point that Suozzi and Gillen may get opponents in the June party primaries for supporting the DHS funding bill. Casey Quigley said she has seen more people on social media calling for primaries. Casey Quigley said she "totally agrees" with critiques of Gillen and Suozzi for their votes and supports primaries if they strengthen the party. "I don’t want to excuse their votes," Casey Quigley said. "There’s anger from the party."

Petitioning to challenge the party’s designee requires ample resources. Nonetheless, there are several people considering a campaign against Gillen, The Point was told.

Meanwhile, Republicans also got caught in the swiftly changing sentiment. On Saturday, after the shooting, CD1’s LaLota reposted former House member and current U.S. Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito’s post showing a picture of a pistol and magazine allegedly recovered from Pretti. In the Saturday post, D’Esposito, a former NYPD detective, writes, "Armed suspect. Split-second decision. Officers go home alive. That’s the reality of policing — and why we stand with law enforcement."

This came as Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller were labeling Pretti a "domestic terrorist." D’Esposito, who was ousted from his CD4 seat by Gillen in 2024, is rumored to be the GOP front-runner to challenge Gillen this year.

On Sunday, LaLota posted to X a photo collage with descriptions of "lawful protests" and "unlawful conduct." LaLota added that Minnesota Democratic leaders should "stop their inflammatory rhetoric, condemn unlawful conduct by their supporters" and provide security perimeters to "keep Minnesotans safe."

In response to a Saturday post from Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) describing "another shocking murder in Minnesota by ICE," LaLota wrote, "Leaders should cool the rhetoric, let investigations run their course, and allow the truth to come out."

In a statement to The Point Monday, LaLota continued to blame the protesters and Democratic leaders. "Elected officials must cool their rhetoric and clearly remind Americans that it is both illegal and dangerous to put your hands on a police officer, interfere with an arrest, or resist arrest yourself. Doing any of those things while carrying a loaded firearm only escalates the danger — for officers, for bystanders, and for yourself." He did not criticize the inflammatory statements by Noem and Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander at large.

In a Facebook post Monday that continues to place the protests at the center of the problem, LaLota said ICE has arrested "more than 100 violent criminal illegal immigrants on Long Island" without incident because of cooperation between the feds and local officials. LaLota added that "we have avoided the reckless, hyperbolic demonization of federal Law Enforcement that elsewhere has turned lawful protests into riots and actively obstructed public-safety operations."

CD2’s Garbarino, who chairs the powerful House Committee on Homeland Security but keeps a low profile, emerged late Saturday with a letter formalizing a request for testimony from key Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection officials. The letter offers dates ranging from Feb. 15 to Mar. 18. In a statement Saturday, Garbarino said of ICE and CBP: "I expect each to testify before the Committee in the coming weeks."

Garbarino’s statement did not directly mention the shooting.

"It is critical that Congress conduct its due diligence to ensure the safety of law enforcement officers and the communities they protect," Garbarino said in the statement. "I take my oversight duties of the Department of Homeland Security seriously, and we expect recent events to be thoroughly discussed at our hearing."

Before the shooting, Garbarino spoke to The Point on Friday, in an interview mostly focused on his efforts to find a fix to the shortfall of Sept. 11 health program funding — efforts that resulted in a bill that the House has passed, but that could be stymied if the Senate does not vote on the funding package this week.

Even then, Garbarino said he expected testimony from key officials on ICE enforcement would happen but attempted to suggest there were reasons for the slow walk he was getting from the administration, like the initial no-show last week from Todd Lyons, the acting head of ICE, for testimony Garbarino had sought.

"We believe they’re going to agree to a date," Garbarino said in the interview. "We are in final discussions with them. They will be in front of the committee. There’s a process. If they won’t come willingly, you have to go through a process to make them come."

The Point requested a follow-up interview with Garbarino on Monday to ask if he saw a new sense of urgency, but a spokeswoman referred The Point back to the statement from Saturday.

But it looks like Sen. Rand Paul, who chairs the companion committee in the upper chamber, will get the first crack at a hearing. On Monday, without any mention of Pretti’s death, Paul requested DHS officials appear at an open meeting on Feb. 12. Paul wrote, "Congress has an obligation to conduct oversight of those tax dollars and ensure the funding is used to accomplish the mission, provide proper support for our law enforcement, and, most importantly, protect the American people."

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com, Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com, Rita Ciolli rita.ciolli@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Chilling

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Final Point

Nassau Legislature declines to hold a moment of silence for Alex Pretti

Another indication of how national uproar over events in Minnesota this weekend is seeping into local politics occurred at the Nassau County Legislature Monday morning at the start of its monthly meeting.

According to the official video of the meeting, the following exchange took place as legislators took their seats after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Democrat Carrié Solages asked GOP Majority Leader Howard Kopel "for a moment of silence for Alex Pretti, the ICU nurse who assisted veterans and who died unfortunately." Solages said he did want to "state the cause but just a moment of silence for him because he helped many veterans."

Kopel briefly huddled with fellow Republican Tom McKevitt and then replied, "You know I hate to get into political discussions over here ... I can hopefully speak for everyone and say that we all wish that had never happened. And, I don’t want to get into whose fault it was, who provoked it, whether it was provoked or not provoked."

Kopel added, "It’s a very sad thing when anyone is harmed. And, let’s all work towards making sure, to the extent that we can, [that] people respect each other."

Solages pressed him again for just a moment of silence. But Kopel declined, "Well listen, we’re moving forward."

— Rita Ciolli rita.ciolli@newsday.com

Correction

Thursday’s Point incorrectly referenced the party affiliation of Legis. Cynthia Nuñez, who is a registered independent. 

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