Second Fatal ICE Shooting In Minneapolis; Trump & Walz Have ‘Very Good Call’
Minneapolis remains at the center of a major clash between state and federal officials, after federal agents shot and killed a second U.S. citizen Saturday morning during an immigration enforcement operation there.
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, was shot by federal officers while protesting in the Twin Cities – two weeks after Renée Good was fatally shot in her car by an immigration agent in Minneapolis.
In the 24 hours after his death, government officials blamed Pretti – who local authorities say was carrying a legally registered gun – calling him a “domestic terrorist” who wanted to “massacre” officers. But on Monday, The Trump administration appeared to shift course.
President Trump announced that he is sending border czar Tom Homan, a veteran ICE official, to Minnesota Monday night to take over management of the roughly 4,000 federal agents currently in Minneapolis. The current force is 6 times the size of the local police force, and had previously been under the leadership of Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino – known for his much harsher approach on the ground.
Trump also said Monday morning that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called him to request cooperation, and that the two were “on a similar wavelength” after weeks of back-and-forth fighting over the federal surge. Walz’s team said Trump seemed open to allowing an independent state investigation into the Minneapolis shootings, adding that he’d consider reducing the federal agent presence in the state. Late Monday, Trump announced he also had a “very good” call with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
VIDEO EVIDENCE
At the center of the controversy around Pretti is video evidence that directly challenges the federal government’s initial narrative. The incident unfolded just after 9 a.m. CT Saturday in south Minneapolis.
Bystander video (you can watch here) shows Pretti standing in the street and recording agents on his phone as other residents approach them. When an officer shoves a person – who appears to be a bystander or protester – onto the sidewalk, Pretti steps in to intervene.
Footage then shows an agent deploying chemical spray, before about seven agents attempt to pin Pretti to the ground. Officers can be heard shouting “he’s got a gun,” before one agent appears to remove Pretti’s handgun from his waistband. Seconds later, at least 10 shots are fired toward Pretti, in roughly five seconds.
Government statement: Hours after the incident, DHS accused Pretti of trying to “massacre law enforcement” — a characterization echoed by Bovino. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller described the incident as domestic terrorism. On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt distanced the president from some of his top officials, only saying that Trump wants a full investigation into the incident.
Family statement: Pretti’s parents, Susan and Michael Pretti, heard about the news from a reporter. They described their son as “a kindhearted soul” devoted to caring for veterans as an ICU nurse. “Alex wanted to make a difference in this world,” they said. “Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact.”
THE GUN
Federal officials have claimed Pretti was armed and posed an imminent threat. But video shows Pretti never brandished his weapon or attempted to draw it. He was also a legal gun owner with a permit to carry, according to state officials.
Top Trump officials — including FBI Director Kash Patel — suggested that bringing a firearm to protests like the one in Minneapolis is illegal.
“You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines, to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple,” Patel said on Fox News Sunday. “You don’t have that right to break the law and incite violence.”
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus said Patel’s statement was “completely incorrect on Minnesota law.” The National Rifle Association, the U.S.’s leading gun lobby, urged officials to resist “making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.”
BIGGER PICTURE
Typically, a federal shooting prompts two parallel reviews: 1) an internal administrative investigation and 2) a Department of Justice criminal investigation who assess use-of-force cases. But in the Pretti shooting – similar to the earlier killing of Renee Good – Homeland Security appears to only be conducting an internal investigation.
A federal judge has since ordered that federal agencies preserve all evidence in the case, but local officials say they remain shut out of key investigative work.
In another case, the state of Minnesota asked a judge to temporarily halt the federal immigration enforcement operation in their state. On Monday, Judge Katherine Menendez, a Biden appointee, said she was reluctant to decide the merits of the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
But, the White House is expected to pull Bovino and some agents from Minneapolis as early as tomorrow, according to CNN.
WHY THE CHANGE?
It looks like politics, and optics. CNN senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elie Honig told Mo News on Sunday that real change will come from Congress and voters, because judges have limited power when it comes to immigration enforcement.
Optics: Fox News reported Sunday that multiple federal law enforcement officials inside the administration believe DHS’s public messaging since the shooting has hurt morale and credibility. These are insiders who broadly support the administration’s deportation agenda.
On the Hill: A growing number of Republican lawmakers, even those typically aligned with Trump, have called for independent investigations into the Minneapolis shootings. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are moving to partially block a government funding package that includes $10 billion for ICE.
A partial government shutdown appears more likely as lawmakers face a midnight Friday deadline to fund roughly 75% of the federal government. The White House said it opposes splitting off DHS funding from a spending package for several other parts of the government to reach a deal.