Fox News anchor Sean Hannity initiated a discussion this week by displaying a rare divergence from the consistent support that conservative media usually provides for President Trump’s immigration policies. This came amidst his continued critique of Democrats for their vigorous anti-ICE stance, featured on his TV show.
During his radio show on Monday, January 26, Hannity unexpectedly criticized the methods employed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), specifically their workplace raids. “Is ICE perfect? They’re not,” Hannity stated on The Sean Hannity Show. “Do I think that going into Home Depots and arresting people there is a good idea? I don’t.”
Hannity’s comments presented a distinct departure from his usual dismissal of ICE’s overreach concerns. This occurred as tensions in Minneapolis, Minnesota, escalated following the fatal shootings of two American citizens by immigration agents in January – Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, on January 24, and Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three and a poet, on January 7.
However, Hannity’s weeknight TV show presented a contrasting narrative, focusing on Democratic officials escalating their criticism of ICE operations. Hannity specifically targeted Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, accusing Democratic leaders of “betraying” fundamental American values in light of increasing threats against ICE agents.
The contentious issue of sanctuary cities, where local authorities resist cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, was also addressed. Hannity’s guest on Tuesday evening, Senator Lindsey Graham, expressed his strong disapproval of sanctuary policies, stating, “You can never have law and order with sanctuary city policies.” Graham also revealed he is collaborating with President Trump on legislation to terminate such policies nationwide.
The conversation also brought up a recently surfaced video clip that allegedly shows Alex Pretti in a confrontation with federal agents a week and a half before his fatal shooting on January 24. The footage, used by the administration to depict Pretti as antagonistic toward law enforcement, shows a man, speculated to be Pretti, arguing with agents before being tackled.
Hannity, who joined Fox News in 1996 and launched his solo primetime show in 2009, highlighted the Democratic rhetoric conservatives blame for inciting violence against federal agents. Governor Walz faced severe backlash in May 2025 for referring to ICE as “Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo” during a University of Minnesota Law School commencement speech. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has claimed that such language has led to a significant increase in assaults on ICE officers.
Some Democrats have started to distance themselves from extreme language. Senator John Fetterman has publicly denounced Nazi comparisons, arguing that such language can provoke violence. While Fetterman initially said he would “never vote to shut our government down,” he subsequently voted against advancing the DHS funding package on January 30, 2026, joining all other Senate Democrats. He later voted for the compromise bill (71-29 vote) after DHS funding was separated out.
Meanwhile, Mayor Frey was addressing the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., calling for an end to what he termed as ICE’s “unlawful tactics.”
Hannity’s radio show comments, which suggested a voluntary deportation program offering $2,000 to immigrants who self-report, garnered attention from an unlikely source. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough noted his surprise at Hannity’s call for “a more responsible, reasonable way” to handle deportations, pointing out that the administration “didn’t start here.”
The mixed messaging from Hannity mirrors the current political climate. Pretti’s death has brought together unlikely critics, with some Republicans advocating for more thorough investigations and gun-rights supporters questioning why a legal gun owner was shot by federal agents.
Hannity’s shows have become a crucial platform for conservative commentary since President Trump’s return to office following his inauguration on January 20, 2025. Hannity, known for his “provocative style and passionate commentary,” according to his Fox News biography, is the longest-running current primetime host in cable news history.
Other conservative figures have mirrored Hannity’s criticism of Democratic rhetoric. Conservative radio hosts Mark Levin and Dan Bongino have discussed similar themes on their respective shows, while Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom continue their dispute over state-level immigration enforcement.
In Minneapolis, a makeshift memorial for Alex Pretti continues to expand at the intersection where he was killed. The protests that have shaken the city for weeks persist, even as the Trump administration announced a restructuring of its immigration operation there.
