Congress is discussing the potential consequences of ICE and Noem after the killing of Renee Judd

WASHINGTON (AP) — The killing of a Minnesota woman at the hands of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is reverberating throughout Capitol Hill as Democrats and some Republicans vow a firm response as President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportations spark protests across the country.

He watches: Minnesota leaders and protesters push for accountability after ICE shooting

Lawmakers are demanding a range of actions, from a full investigation into the shooting death of Renee Judd and policy changes on law enforcement raids to defunding ICE operations and firing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in what is quickly becoming an inflection point.

“The situation that happened in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. “And in the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong, forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats.”

However, there is almost no consensus among political parties in the wake of the death of Judd, who was driving an SUV after driving her 6-year-old child to school when an ICE officer shot and killed her.

The murder immediately sparked dueling narratives. Trump and Noem said the ICE officer acted in self-defense, while Democratic officials said the Trump administration was lying and urged the public to watch viral videos of the shooting themselves.

Deputy Chief J.D. Vance blamed Judd, calling it a “tragedy of her own making,” and said the ICE officer may have been “sensitive” to her injury during an unrelated altercation last year.

He watches: Vance blames fatal shooting victim on ICE in White House press conference

But Goode’s killing, at least the fifth known death since the administration launched its mass deportation campaign, could change the political dynamic.

“The videos I saw from Minneapolis yesterday are deeply disturbing,” Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said in a statement.

“As we mourn this loss of life, we need a comprehensive and objective investigation into how and why this happened,” she added. As part of the investigation, she said she was calling for policy changes, saying the situation “was devastating and cannot happen again.”

Homeland Security funding is up for debate

The push in Congress for more oversight and accountability over the administration’s immigration operations comes as lawmakers are in the midst of the annual appropriations process to fund agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, to prevent another federal government shutdown when the money runs out at the end of January.

As anti-ICE demonstrations erupted in cities in the wake of Goode’s death, Democrats vowed to use any legislative means available to pressure the administration to change the behavior of ICE officers.

“We’ve been warning about this for a whole year,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost, Democrat of Florida.

The ICE officer “should be held accountable,” Frost said, “but not just them, but ICE as a whole, the president and this entire administration.”

Congressional Democrats saw Goode’s killing as a sign of the need for aggressive action to constrain the administration’s tactics.

Many Democrats have joined calls to impeach Noem, who has been criticized from both parties for her lack of transparency at the department, though such a move is highly unlikely with Republicans in control of Congress.

Other Democrats want to restrict funding for her department, whose budget was significantly increased as part of the sweeping tax and spending bill passed by Republicans last summer.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the top Democrat on the subcommittee that handles DHS funding, plans to introduce legislation to rein in the agency with limits on the power of federal agents, including a requirement that Border Patrol stick to the border and expose DHS enforcement officers.

“More Democrats today are saying the thing a number of us have been saying since April and May: Kristi Noem is dangerous. She should not be in office, and she should be removed,” said Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez, who represents parts of Chicago where ICE launched enhanced immigration enforcement last year that resulted in two deaths.

Immigration debates have long divided Congress and parties. Democrats are divided between more liberal and tougher positions toward newcomers to the United States. Republicans have adopted Trump’s hard-line approach to portray Democrats as extremists.

The Republican administration launched the enforcement operation in Minnesota in response to an investigation by the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. Prosecutors said the organization was at the center of the nation’s largest COVID-19 scam, when the defendants took advantage of a state-run, federally funded program aimed at providing food to children.

As November’s midterm elections approach, which Democrats believe will hinge on issues like affordability and health care, national outrage over ICE’s behavior has put pressure on lawmakers to speak out.

“I’m not completely against deportations, but the way they’re handling it is a real disgrace,” said Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat who represents a district along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Right now, you see humans being treated like animals,” he said.

Other ICE shootings have alarmed lawmakers

In September, a federal immigration enforcement agent in Chicago fatally shot Silverio Villegas Gonzalez during a brief altercation after Gonzalez dropped his children off at school.

In October, a CBP agent in Chicago also shot Marimar Martinez, a teacher and US citizen, five times during an altercation with officers. A federal judge dismissed the department’s charges against Martinez.

For Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Ill., Judd’s death “brought back painful memories of the two shootings in my district.”

He said: “It seems that the fact that an American citizen, a white woman, may open the eyes of the American public, and certainly members of Congress, that what is happening is out of control, and that this is not about arresting or prosecuting the most dangerous immigrants.”

Republicans expressed some concern about the shooting but stood by department policy, defended the officer’s actions and largely blamed Judd for the confrontation.

“Nobody wants to see people get shot,” said Rep. Rich McCormick, Republican of Georgia.

“Let’s do the right thing and be reasonable. The reasonable thing is not to obstruct ICE officers and then speed while they’re standing in front of your car,” he said. “She made a mistake. I’m sure she didn’t mean for it to happen, and he didn’t mean for it to happen.”