Tensions rise after second fatal ICE shooting

On Saturday, Border Patrol agents fatally shot a protester in Minneapolis while carrying out a federal immigration enforcement operation.

It marks the latest of several ICE-related shootings—and the second death of a US citizen—since the Trump admin launched a major immigration operation in Minneapolis earlier this month.

What happened?

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old US citizen who worked as an ICU nurse in Minneapolis, was shot and killed following a scuffle with ICE officers who were carrying out an operation targeting a man from Ecuador. Videos shared widely online show Pretti filming federal officers with his phone before stepping in to help a woman who was shoved, then getting tackled by several federal officers in a scuffle that led to Pretti’s fatal shooting.

The incident comes two weeks after the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year old US citizen who was fatally shot by an ICE agent during a similar immigration enforcement action in Minneapolis.

As with Good’s shooting, public characterizations of Pretti’s death have split sharply depending on the source.

• A DHS statement asserted that Pretti confronted ICE agents with a handgun and resisted efforts to disarm him, prompting what DHS described as “defensive shots.”
• Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino said Pretti arrived with the intent to “massacre law enforcement,” while both Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller accused Pretti of being a domestic terrorist.

On the flip side, multiple eyewitnesses and videos posted online appear to contradict parts of the federal account. A frame‑by‑frame WSJ review shows federal agents removing a handgun from Pretti’s person as he was wrestled to the ground, with an agent firing at least 10 shots into Pretti roughly a second after the weapon was taken. Pretti didn’t appear to draw or aim the gun before that point.

• State and local officials also dispute key elements of the federal account.
• They cite videos from the scene that contradict claims that he posed an immediate threat, and note that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit to carry and no criminal record.

What comes next?

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) deployed the state National Guard to Minneapolis in the aftermath of Pretti’s shooting to assist with crowd control, and called for the White House to pull ICE agents from the state.

• Secretary Kristi Noem announced that DHS will lead the investigation into Pretti’s death. State officials have allegedly been blocked from gathering evidence at the scene of Pretti’s death, similar to Renee Good’s crime scene, per a lawsuit from Minnesota’s AG.
• More than 60 Minnesota‑based CEOs—including leaders from Target, UnitedHealth Group, and the Mayo Clinic—have signed a letter calling for “an immediate de‑escalation of tensions” and collaboration across government levels to address the unrest.

On Capitol Hill: This weekend’s shooting in Minneapolis has raised the chances of a partial US gov’t shutdown starting on Friday, with Democratic leaders now saying they’ll oppose any funding package that includes appropriations for DHS.

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