Trump aide Miller says Minneapolis agents may have breached 'protocol'

Deputy Chief of Staff Miller, a powerful figure who leads Trump's hardline immigration policy, said in a statement to AFP that the White House was now looking into the possible breach.

He said the White House had provided "clear guidance" that extra personnel were sent to Minnesota to "create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors."

"We are evaluating why the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) team may not have been following that protocol," Miller said.

Miller also appeared to blame both the border agency and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for his comments on Saturday, which have since attracted criticism. 

Shortly after the killing, Miller called Pretti a "would-be assassin" and accused him of wanting to murder federal agents.

But Miller said his comments were based on an initial statement by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who falsely said Pretti was brandishing a weapon when he approached federal agents.

Video evidence later showed that the victim was not holding a gun at the time. Pretti had a sidearm on him, but agents had already removed it before he was shot multiple times at point-blank range.

"The initial statement from DHS was based on reports from CBP on the ground," Miller said in his statement.

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