Rep. Mike Lawler (R-New York) at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 18, 2024 (Maxim Elramsisy/Shutterstock.com)
Tensions in Minneapolis went from bad to worse when, on Saturday, January 24, 37-year-old Alex Pretti — an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse at a Veterans Affairs (VA) — was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents. Pretti's death followed the fatal shooting of motorist Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent earlier in the month.
In an op-ed published by the New York Times on January 27, conservative Rep. Mike Lawler (R-New York), criticizes Democratic immigration policy but is also critical of the Trump Administration. And he calls for the United States' two major parties to work together and find a solution.
"The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis this month were tragic and preventable," Lawler argues. "No matter where you stand on immigration enforcement, the shootings show that what the country has been doing is not working…. Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection are conducting forceful operations in American communities. They should reassess their current tactics."
Lawler's op-ed is drawing a lot of discussion on X, formerly Twitter — including some angry posts from MAGA Republicans.
Duke Chastain, who co-hosts a MAGA podcast, tweeted, "Lawler needs to be put out to pasture. He isn't going to have a seat after this election so he needs to shut up and enjoy his remaining months."
Self-described "anti-communist" Mitchell Gant posted, "@RepMikeLawler is a disgrace."
MAGA Republican PT Ward argued, "I'll put it simply; I see all the Democrats in the comments saying Lawler needs to be voted out. If Mike Lawler wants to push de facto amnesty even though conservatives have been very clear about this being a red line, then I agree: he should be voted out."
Another MAGA Republican, M. Heuberger, wrote, "This guy is the worst kind of Rino/ he apparently hasn’t seen the polls. Lawler needs to be voted out. He scamed (sic) the taxpayers with his SALT tax demands."
But Lawler also drew criticism from progressives who saw his op-ed as too little too late.
Green energy consultant John Yazek wrote, "He's trying to appear 'reasonable' prior to the election. He has been a rubber stamp for Trump's brutal regime. Just shows he's soulless."
Lawler's op-ed did get a favorable reaction from conservative John Feehery, who tweeted, "This makes plenty of sense to me."
Rep. Mike Lawler's full op-ed for The New York Times is available at this link (subscription required).