Sen. Rand Paul, chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, called on three top immigration enforcement officials to testify before his panel in the wake of Saturday’s killing of a Minneapolis man by federal agents.

The Kentucky Republican sent letters Monday to Rodney Scott, the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection; Joseph Edlow, the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and Todd Lyons, who is serving as acting director of ICE, requesting that the three men testify at a Feb. 12 hearing.

“As you know, the Department of Homeland Security has been provided an exceptional amount of funding to secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws,” Paul said in the letters to the administration officials. “Congress has an obligation to conduct oversight of those tax dollars and ensure the funding is used to accomplish the mission, provide proper support for our law enforcement, and, most importantly, protect the American people.”

Paul’s letters don’t mention this weekend’s killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, which has sparked a wave of new scrutiny of the immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota ordered by President Donald Trump.

But the hearing would be the first chance senators will have to question Trump administration officials’ over the shooting and the president’s broader immigration and Homeland Security agenda.

Separately, Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined the growing ranks of Republicans raising questions about the shooting, saying he supports a “full and transparent investigation into the tragic event in Minneapolis.”

“Congress has requested testimony from ICE, CBP, and USCIS leaders in an open hearing, and they should testify soon,” said Young, who is not a member of Paul’s committee, in a statement to Blue Light News. “Providing the American people with the full facts is an important part of maintaining public trust. We also need state and local officials to better cooperate with federal enforcement efforts.”

The White House on Monday urged the Senate to pass the six-bill appropriations package to avert a partial government shutdown and signaled it doesn’t want Department of Homeland Security money separated out.

“At this point, the White House supports the bipartisan work that was done to advance the bipartisan appropriations package and we want to see that passed,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a White House briefing when asked if the administration would be willing to separate DHS funding.

Leavitt said that “policy discussions on immigration in Minnesota are happening,” pointing to President Donald Trump’s call with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz earlier Monday. She said the discussions “should not be at the expense of government funding for the American people.”

The press secretary also pointed to the winter storms across the country and the effect a lapse in FEMA funding could have on the response effort.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has pressed Republicans to rewrite the DHS funding legislation in the wake of the killing of Alex Pretti in Minnesota and signaled that the other five appropriations bills could move forward without it. Senate Republican leadership want to move forward all six bills, including DHS funding, and the first votes are expected Thursday.

A growing number of Hill Democrats are calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be step aside or be impeached following shooting of a Minneapolis man by DHS agents Saturday.

A House impeachment resolution targeting Noem now has 140 cosponsors, nearly two-thirds of the Democratic caucus, according to a spokesperson for Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), who authored the legislation. Dozens signed on over the weekend, including after a private caucus call Sunday where a number of House Democrats spoke out for impeachment.

Although impeaching President Donald Trump remains a highly divisive issue among Democrats, calling for Noem’s impeachment or resignation is fast becoming a mainstream position in the party.

On the cosponsor list for Kelly’s resolution are purple-district lawmakers such as Reps. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) and Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), as well as members of the party leadership team including Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.).

Others in the party are calling for Noem’s removal without mentioning the prospect of impeachment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, for instance, declared in a Monday social media post that Noem “must be fired.”

In a statement provided first to Blue Light News, 15 House Democrats who are veterans said Noem should resign.

“We call for an immediate stand down of ICE and CBP interior enforcement operations and demand the resignation of the Secretary of Homeland Security,” said the lawmakers, including California Democratic Reps. Ted Lieu, Salud Carbajal and Gil Cisneros. “Current leadership has failed to protect civil liberties, ensure accountability, or maintain the public trust.”

With Republicans in control of the House floor, it could be difficult for Democrats to force the issue anytime soon. Absent a GOP groundswell, Speaker Mike Johnson will be able to bottle up the measure indefinitely though Kelly could try to call up her impeachment legislation as a privileged matter, allowing it to bypass committees and move to a quick House vote.