Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro accused federal immigration enforcement of lacking a legitimate purpose, claiming it only serves to infringe on constitutional rights. Speaking on ABC's 'The View,' the potential 2028 Democratic contender vowed to challenge such operations in his state through legal means. His remarks came amid a deadly incident involving Border Patrol in Minneapolis.
On a recent episode of ABC's 'The View,' Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) sharply criticized the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. Shapiro, who was considered for Vice President Kamala Harris's 2024 running mate and is eyed for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, described ICE's activities in cities like Minneapolis as having no real mission beyond violating individuals' constitutional rights.
The discussion was prompted by co-host Ana Navarro, who referenced a fatal confrontation in Minneapolis between Border Patrol agents and Alex Pretti. Shapiro called the incident 'obviously extremely disturbing' and attributed it to directives from President Trump, Kristi Noem, Stephen Miller, and JD Vance. 'To me, it is very clear that the mission... is a mission to violate people’s constitutional rights, and it is clear that the mission needs to be terminated immediately, period, hard stop,' he stated.
When co-host Sara Haines asked about potential enforcement surges in Philadelphia, Shapiro affirmed his preparedness. 'We’ve been planning for this. We understand that this is a risk—maybe not just in Philly, but Pittsburgh, Lancaster, other communities across Pennsylvania; we’ve heard similar rumors,' he said. Drawing on his experience as former attorney general, Shapiro boasted of suing the president successfully 19 times in his first 12 months as governor, winning every case 'on behalf of the good people of Pennsylvania.'
Shapiro's comments highlight ongoing tensions between state and federal authorities over immigration policy, with the governor positioning himself as a defender against perceived overreach.