This weekend, Minnesota GOP Chairman Alex Plechash tried to downplay the tragic murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, saying, “It’s kind of a local thing right now.” His comments come as Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, and Kristi Noem try to circle the wagons as voters demand a stop to ICE’s abuses. While Republicans attempt to downplay these murders, Democrats are fighting to put an end to ICE’s reign of terror and protect Americans’ safety.

A Reminder: Donald Trump is 17 points underwater on the issue of immigration, and a majority of voters — including 62% of independent voters — believe that increases in ICE funding are a bad use of taxpayer dollars.

In response, DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement: 

“In the wake of the tragic murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, Minnesota Republicans refuse to dial down the temperature and put an end to ICE’s horrific abuses. The shots fired against these two Minnesotans rang out not just in my home state but across the country. Innocent Americans being shot in broad daylight by their own government is something that should alarm every single one of us. While Republicans try to minimize these tragic murders, Democrats are fighting to rein in ICE abuses and bring safety, justice, and accountability to our communities.”

WATCH: 

Key Points: 

• Reporter: “Is that going to be a problem for Republicans? There haven’t been a lot of Republicans who have come out and spoken very forcefully about what’s been happening on the streets.”

• GOP Chair Alex Plechash: “Well, certainly it’s going to be an issue. It’s in front of people every day on the news, but we want to focus on what Minnesotans actually care about. The ICE situation is going to dissipate. It will end. Whether it’s next week, next month, it’s kind of a local thing right now.”