Senior officials in United States President Donald Trump’s administration on Sunday stood by federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of a US citizen in Minneapolis, even as multiple bystander videos sharply contradicted their account and tensions deepened between federal officers, local authorities, and residents. The killing of Alex Pretti on Saturday has intensified scrutiny of the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign in the city, where heavily armed and masked agents have been deployed in an operation without recent precedent.
As mourners gathered in freezing temperatures and snowfall to lay flowers and light candles at a makeshift memorial, administration officials maintained that Pretti assaulted agents and was shot in self defense. That version of events has been challenged by video recordings verified by Reuters, which appear to show Pretti holding only a cellphone moments before he was restrained and shot at close range. Pretti, 37, became the second American citizen killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis this month, further inflaming public anger.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz renewed his call for Trump to withdraw federal agents from the state, accusing the administration of overreach and supporting a lawsuit seeking to curb what state officials describe as unconstitutional conduct. Despite this, senior Border Patrol officials repeated claims that agents were the true victims in the encounter, a stance echoed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Local Democratic leaders, members of Congress, and Minneapolis law enforcement rejected that narrative, pointing to footage showing no evidence that Pretti brandished a weapon.
Protests continued across Minneapolis as thousands of residents filled icy streets, chanting slogans and demanding the removal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The atmosphere has grown increasingly volatile following weeks of confrontations between residents and federal officers. Video footage of Saturday’s incident shows Pretti attempting to assist other protesters who had been pushed to the ground, filming the scene with his phone. An agent is seen pepper spraying him before several officers forced him onto his hands and knees. Although a gun is later visible near Pretti’s waistband area, state officials confirmed he held a valid Minnesota permit to carry a concealed firearm, a right affirmed by the US Supreme Court in 2022.
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Moments after Pretti was pinned down, an officer fired multiple shots into his back, followed by additional gunfire from another agent. Former ICE official Darius Reeves criticised what he described as a lack of coordination among the agents involved, calling their actions deeply troubling. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the videos undermined the federal account and confirmed he had seen no evidence that Pretti posed a lethal threat.
The killing followed another fatal shooting earlier this month, when immigration agents shot Renee Good, also a US citizen, during a separate operation. That case prompted resignations by federal prosecutors after the Justice Department withdrew cooperation from a state investigation. A federal judge has now ordered the preservation of all evidence related to Pretti’s death.
Pretti worked as an intensive care nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital, and colleagues gathered to honor him, many in tears. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the loss had deeply shaken the healthcare community. While Trump has defended the immigration crackdown as essential to public safety, critics argue the deaths reflect a dangerous escalation, with former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton condemning the shootings and warning that fundamental American values are being eroded.