The Trump administration is facing mounting pressure following the fatal shooting of a second US citizen by federal agents in Minneapolis during its intensified immigration enforcement operation.
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot dead on Saturday morning during a confrontation with federal agents on an icy roadway. The incident occurred less than three weeks after another US citizen, Renee Good, was similarly shot and killed by an immigration officer while inside her car.
Federal authorities initially claimed that Pretti had attempted to harm the agents and pointed to a pistol allegedly found on him. However, widely circulated cellphone footage later verified by US media outlets appeared to contradict this account, showing Pretti never drawing a weapon before agents fired multiple shots at him moments after he was sprayed with a chemical irritant and forced to the ground.
Pretti’s parents issued a statement condemning what they described as “sickening lies” about their son after senior officials labelled him an “assassin” who had violently attacked law enforcement officers.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, speaking on Sunday, expressed sympathy to the family and said she was “grieved” by the loss, while noting that further clarity would come from an ongoing investigation. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also acknowledged that key facts remain unclear, stating that investigators are working to determine exactly what transpired.
The incident has drawn bipartisan calls for a thorough investigation. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy urged a joint federal and state probe, while Minnesota Governor Tim Walz insisted the state would take the lead, arguing that federal authorities could not be trusted to handle the investigation independently.
Tensions have escalated in Minneapolis in recent weeks following the deployment of thousands of federal immigration agents under “Operation Metro Surge,” a move critics say has heightened fear and unrest in communities with large immigrant populations, particularly among Somali residents.
Protests, confrontations, and community alert systems have emerged as residents respond to the presence of federal agents. Local authorities have filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to suspend the operation, with a hearing scheduled for Monday.
On Sunday, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to preserve all evidence related to the Pretti shooting as investigations continue into the controversial incident.
