MINNEAPOLIS, MN January 24, 2026 – A 37-year-old ICU nurse, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, was shot and killed by federal immigration agents on Saturday morning in south Minneapolis, marking the second fatal incident involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol in the city this month. The shooting has ignited widespread protests and renewed calls for the abolition of ICE, amid conflicting accounts from authorities and witnesses.
The incident occurred around 9 a.m. near Nicollet Avenue and West 26th Street in the Eat Street neighborhood, during a targeted enforcement operation under “Operation Metro Surge,” part of the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown. Pretti, a Minneapolis resident with no prior criminal record and a valid permit to carry a firearm, approached the agents who were conducting an arrest. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Pretti was armed with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and two magazines containing dozens of rounds. Officials claim he impeded the operation, resisted disarmament violently, and posed a threat, leading an agent to fire in self-defense.
However, eyewitness videos and accounts paint a different picture. Footage shows multiple agents wrestling Pretti to the ground in snowy conditions, beating him, and removing a gun from his waistband before one agent stands and fires multiple shots at close range. Witnesses described Pretti as an observer or bystander who was recording the agents’ actions, intervening to protect a woman being arrested. Nilson Barahona, a witness previously detained by ICE, recounted agents chasing someone into a doughnut shop, leading to a physical altercation where Pretti was shot.
Pretti’s family and neighbors remembered him as a caring individual deeply invested in his community. His father, Michael Pretti, noted his son’s passion for helping others, including caring for his late dog and participating in anti-ICE protests. A neighbor described him as “heartbroken” over the loss, emphasizing his willingness to assist those in need.
In the immediate aftermath, protests erupted at the scene, with crowds confronting agents who deployed tear gas, flash bangs, and less-lethal munitions to disperse them. Reports indicate objects were thrown at officers, and one anti-ICE protester allegedly bit off an HSI officer’s finger during the chaos. Minnesota State Patrol declared an unlawful assembly, and the National Guard was mobilized to establish an exclusion zone. A planned rally and vigil were postponed, but demonstrations spread to other cities, including Manhattan.
Political reactions have been sharply divided. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz condemned the operation as an “absolute abomination” and demanded ICE’s withdrawal, insisting on a state-led investigation despite federal refusal to grant access to the scene. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, after viewing the video, filed for a restraining order to halt federal operations, questioning, “How many more residents need to die?” U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) posted on X, stating, “ICE agents have killed another person on the street. For simply bearing witness to their cruelty and lawlessness… There is no reforming ICE. It must be abolished.”
On the other side, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem defended the agents, describing the event as a “violent riot” and criticizing state officials for encouraging unrest. President Donald Trump accused Walz and Frey of inciting insurrection and shared an image of Pretti’s gun on Truth Social, claiming agents “had to protect themselves.” Attorney General Pam Bondi blamed local leaders for the violence, while Stephen Miller accused Democrats of siding with “terrorists.”
The ACLU and ACLU of Minnesota demanded the immediate withdrawal of federal agents, an independent investigation, and congressional action to defund ICE’s abusive tactics. Deepinder Mayell, executive director of ACLU of Minnesota, stated, “This tragedy is further proof that these federal agents are out of control and critically endangering our communities.”
Investigations are underway by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, but state officials report federal obstruction, including denial of access despite a judge’s warrant. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and Attorney General Keith Ellison are pushing for court intervention.
This shooting follows the January 7 death of Renee Good, also killed by federal agents, amid escalating tensions in Minneapolis, a city still scarred by the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Community leaders warn of “generational trauma,” particularly among schoolchildren in immigrant-heavy areas.
As protests continue, authorities urge calm while the city grapples with the fallout of federal immigration enforcement.
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