Shaheen Statement on Minnesota Shooting and Appropriations

"The killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis was horrific and has rightly drawn deep concern from both sides of the aisle. This incident is tragically symptomatic of the Department of Homeland Security's frequently lawless and chaotic approach to immigration enforcement. DHS should work hand-in-hand with local law enforcement and focus their efforts on criminals who pose a threat to our communities, but their approach has instead disproportionately targeted undocumented immigrants with no criminal record. In many cases these are neighbors deeply woven into the fabric of their communities. In some cases, immigration enforcement sweeps have even resulted in U.S. citizens and small children being detained or harassed. That is not acceptable. I, like the overwhelming majority of Americans, believe we need a secure border and that undocumented immigrants who pose a threat to others have no place in our country. But we also need an immigration system that is humane and abides by the rule-of-law.