Minnesota ICE Shootings Bring Both Sides Out in Force
ERO Officer & Mahopac School Board Trustee Christopher Harrigan
By Dan Murphy
The shootings in Minnesota by ICE of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have sparked protests in Westchester and Putnam Counties. Highlighting the issue in our area is the case of Christopher Harrigan. Harrigan is a trustee on the Mahopac Board of Education, a position he has held since his 2024 election. Harrigan’s professional background centers on nearly 20 years in law enforcement. He currently serves as a deportation officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), specifically in enforcement and removal operations. This role has drawn significant public attention and controversy in recent months, particularly amid national debates over immigration policy.
Videos circulating online purportedly showing Harrigan participating in arrests related to his ICE duties, prompting calls for his resignation from groups like the Hudson Valley Patriots for Immigration Reform and some local residents. Critics argued that his employment creates a conflict of interest and could undermine the school board’s commitment to a safe and welcoming environment for all students, including those from immigrant families. At a contentious board meeting in January, opponents voiced concerns about how an ICE agent’s presence could affect community perceptions of safety in schools.
Despite the vocal opposition, Harrigan has firmly stated he has no intention of resigning. The Mahopac Board of Education, led by President Michael Mongon, has stood united in his support, declaring that his federal employment does not legally disqualify him from serving as an elected trustee under New York State law. Supporters, including fellow board members, local officials, and community residents, have defended him, emphasizing that his work is lawful, separate from his volunteer board duties, and essential for supporting his family. They highlighted his dedication to the district, portraying the calls for removal as politically motivated attempts to weaponize his career against him.
Many attendees at the January meeting outnumbered critics, cheering his service and arguing that law enforcement professionals deserve respect rather than intimidation. Harrigan’s term extends through 2027, and the controversy has highlighted broader tensions between national policy enforcement and local community roles. His situation underscores how federal employment can intersect with local governance in unexpected ways, sparking division but also demonstrations of community support.
The People’s Immigrant Coalition wrote, “Mahopac School Board member Christopher Harrigan has been captured on video multiple times since August 2025, and most recently last week, acting as an agent of ICE-ERO (Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations), arresting individuals in the neighboring towns of Brewster and Carmel. This violation of human and constitutional rights is in direct conflict with the School Board’s mission to ensure the safety and education of all students.A School Board member should not have access to student records. ICE-ERO has disregarded the law, kidnapping people without warrants, violently attacking without cause, and imprisoning without due process. Having a school board member participate in these violations jeopardizes the confidentiality and trust policy of any school system, thereby destroying a student’s faith in the safety and protection that an educational system provides. THE ASK IS: ATTEND the School Board meeting and demand Christopher Harrigan’s resignation.”
Almost all of Westchester’s elected officials came out calling for the resignation of DHS Secretary Christi Noem or the block of any federal funding for ICE after the shootings in Minnesota.
Assemblymember Dana Levenberg said “Yesterday, federal agents killed another American citizen, 37-year-old nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti, in their campaign of violence against Minnesota. Mr. Pretti was tackled while holding a smartphone and subdued by multiple agents before being pistol whipped – while restrained – and shot multiple times at close range. It is obvious from multiple videos that this was a completely unjustified use of force; Mr. Pretti posed no imminent threat to those officers, and the Department of Homeland Security is once again lying about what we can see with our own eyes. This would be reason enough for New York State to do everything in its power to limit cooperation with ICE, a debased organization that has strayed far from its original purpose.
But now we can see, through a letter sent by the Department of Justice to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, that this operation truly does not have a legitimate law enforcement purpose. Attorney General Pam Bondi has now indicated that the Trump-Vance regime would trade the surrender of Minnesotans’ data, including voter registration data, for the end of this violent campaign. This request makes clear what many have begun suspecting – that these armed, masked agents are not being sent around the country to conduct immigration enforcement, but to serve as a paramilitary force establishing MAGA authoritarianism in states where citizens disagree politically with the president. First, they came for the immigrants; then, they came for citizens defending democracy and the rule of law. When will the majority in Congress speak out?
State Senator Shelley Mayer said, “For the second time in a matter of weeks, an American was killed in our streets at the hands of federal ICE agents. I am deeply disturbed by the videos I saw, and I know others are as well. For the love and for the future of the United States, this armed invasion of an American state and city cannot continue. I call on the New York Republican members of Congress to urge Trump to withdraw ICE; and I demand an immediate, full, and transparent investigation by Minnesota law enforcement, including the full release of all video and evidence related to the incident. This cannot stand. ICE must leave Minnesota.”
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin said, “I am outraged and heartbroken by the killing of Alex Pretti in Minnesota, a tragedy that follows the horrific and unjust death of Renee Good. These incidents of ICE violence are devastating and cannot go without consequence. No enforcement mandate can justify the taking of human life or the abuse of power by government agents.
“Enough is enough. There must be a full, fair, and independent investigation into these killings and into the broader pattern of unlawful ICE actions. We all have a responsibility to speak out, to protest peacefully, and to demand accountability. This cannot continue, and we must resist any system that treats human lives as expendable.”
Westchester Congressman Mike Lawler, in an OPED to the New York Times titled, Minneapolis deaths show America needs a new immigration plan, wrote, The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis this month were tragic and preventable. No matter where you stand on immigration enforcement, the shootings show that what the country has been doing is not working. Thankfully, the Trump administration has effectively stopped illegal border crossings and deported, by its own count, over 675,000 illegal immigrants. Any balanced immigration policy would preserve and expand on this progress — but humanely. Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection are conducting forceful operations in American communities. They should reassess their current tactics. I am the husband of a naturalized citizen. My wife came to the United States in pursuit of a better life. I will always fight to provide opportunity to others who have the potential and desire to contribute to America’s success,” wrote Lawler.
One resident emailed us, asking, “If you oppose the service of Christopher Harrigan on the school board, then where would you draw that line? Would you ask Police officers not to serve? How about prosecutors or investigators? The public response in Putnam County is very different from that in Westchester, and the overwhelming support for Trustee Harrigan shows that Putnam County remains supportive of Trump and ICE. ICE sightings in Westchester remain low, with photos and videos of ICE in Mt. Vernon, Ossining, and Yonkers.
