The shooting death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents over the weekend prompted discussion among members of the Colorado Senate on Monday.

The discussion was mostly orderly as senators debated the Minneapolis shooting that is still under investigation by both Minnesota authorities and federal officials.

Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, began by speaking to the young people visiting the Senate, many of whom were there for a resolution honoring 4-H. 

Immigration and Border Patrol officials have been conducting operations in Minnesota, with the deaths of Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Pretti on Saturday. Gonzales added that multiple people have died at the hands of ICE enforcement or in immigration custody since the beginning of the year.

Reuters has reported six deaths of people in immigration custody since the first of the year. That does not include the deaths of Good or Pretti.

“We are witnessing the conflation of immigration status, dissent, and criminality,” she said.

Gonzales said both Pretti and Good were using their First Amendment rights. Pretti was also using his Second Amendment right, she said. Both have been labeled domestic terrorists, she said.

“I beg for cooler heads to prevail, particularly when our government is telling us to not believe what we have witnessed with our own eyes…until cooler heads prevail, what will we do and how will we act, and make sure everyone is treated with dignity and respect,” Gonzales said.

The other side of the aisle started with Sen. Larry Liston, R-Colorado Springs. “I do not fear our government,” or those in law enforcement, he said.

In the case of the Good shooting, Liston said that it had been reported that the ICE agent in question had already been dragged 200 feet and severely injured. Had Good followed the direction of law enforcement, she would still be alive, Liston said.

In regard to the most recent incident where Pretti was killed, Liston asked, “Who brings a loaded 9mm pistol to a demonstration?”

A normal, reasonable person would not bring a loaded handgun to a demonstration, Liston added. “All we have to do is follow the directives they give us,” and these things would not happen.

Sen. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, spoke first in Arabic and repeated it in English. Families are living in fear, afraid to take their children to school or to go to work. “Fear has replaced trust…as senators, we have a responsibility to make sure Coloradans feel safe, regardless of the political climate.”

Sen. Mark Baisley, R-Woodland Park, claimed people don’t understand the immigration process and that 1.2 million people are legally admitted to the United States each year.

He explained the legal process: criminal background checks to ensure they will be “contributors instead of a financial burden to American citizens,” and “to keep the number of immigrants low enough so that they assimilate into our culture more than they will bring the richness of their culture” here.

He claimed the Biden administration was flying immigrants into the U.S. in military planes without vetting them, claiming it is the source of the chaos now. 

That’s a claim initially made by the anti-immigrant Center for Immigration Studies. The Associated Press has reported that those claims are “unfounded.”

“We’ve got to get past this in a smart way…we need to escort folks out of the country who ought not be here,” Baisley added.

That led to an outburst by Sen. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton. “Maybe we should stop killing Americans,” he said.

He was gaveled for being out of order. Senate President James Coleman, D-Denver, said he did not hear what Mullica said.

The discussion didn’t end when the Senate adjourned. Baisley and Mullica continued to talk, sometimes with raised voices, for a few minutes, later joined by Sen. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village.

Mullica told Baisley he was sorry if he had been offended. “But it’s not a partisan issue to not want to see people killed,” and that the video from Saturday was “a terrible thing,” Mullica said Baisley agreed with him on that point.

Mullica told Colorado Politics he was not sorry for what he said.

At the end of the discussion, everyone shook hands and walked away.

Denver Police closed Lincoln Street between 14th Street and Colfax on Monday afternoon after about 200 protesters gathered on the street to protest ICE.