By Jasper Ward and Daphne Psaledakis
WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) – A U.S. Border Patrol agent was involved in a shooting in Arizona, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that his office was working with the FBI and Customs and Border Protection to look into the incident.
The FBI said it was investigating an alleged assault on a federal officer near the town of Arivaca in Arizona and that a subject was taken into custody, adding that the investigation remains ongoing.
The incident comes amid growing anger over the aggressive tactics of the federal agents as President Donald Trump has pursued a hardline immigration agenda since taking office last year.
NBC News earlier reported, citing the fire department, that a person was transported in critical condition. The Santa Rita Fire District and American Medical Response provided medical care to the individual on the scene, NBC News reported.
PERSON SHOT NOT IDENTIFIED
The circumstances of the incident were not immediately clear and the person who was shot has not been identified. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Arivaca, the community about 10 miles (16 km) from the U.S.-Mexico border where Nanos said the incident took place, is a busy crossing area for migrants and is also the site of past tension between migrant advocates and Border Patrol.
Nanos said the FBI requested assistance in the investigation of the shooting, adding that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigation Division would conduct a parallel investigation and had been asked to lead the use-of-force investigation involving the Border Patrol agent.
“We ask the community to remain patient and understanding as this investigation moves forward. PCSD will thoroughly examine all aspects of the incident, however, these investigations are complex and require time,” Nanos said.
The incident comes after the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse shot multiple times by federal immigration agents on Saturday in Minnesota.
Coupled with the fatal shooting of Renee Good, also 37, earlier this month by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, Pretti’s shooting has become a major political headache for Trump.
Trump won the 2024 presidential election after promising a historic surge in deportations.
Masked immigration officers, often in tactical military-style gear, have become a common sight across the country and protests against the crackdown have erupted in several cities, including Minneapolis, where immigration agents have responded with deadly force.
Public support for Trump’s immigration enforcement tactics appeared to be waning both before and after the Pretti shooting, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. The issue has put Republicans on the defensive ahead of November’s midterm elections, when the party’s narrow congressional majorities are at stake.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward, Daphne Psaledakis and Andrew Hay; Editing by Doina Chiacu, Scott Malone and Chizu Nomiyama)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.