Federal agents fatally shot 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday during an immigration raid on Nicollet Avenue. President Donald Trump stated his administration is “reviewing everything” before deciding on the agent’s actions.
Videos captured a struggle with Border Patrol before shots rang out, as officers targeted suspect Jose Huerta Chuma—later shown with only minor traffic history. Homeland Security claimed self-defence against an armed man, but locals and Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Pretti held a phone after handing over his legal handgun, with no criminal record beyond tickets.
A judge issued a restraining order against the Department of Homeland Security to preserve evidence, after feds blocked state access despite a warrant.
Trump told the Wall Street Journal, “We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination.” He added, “I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it. But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn’t play good either.”
On withdrawal, he noted, “At some point we will leave. We’ve done, they’ve done a phenomenal job.”
Protests erupted in Minneapolis and cities like New York and San Francisco, with chants of “No more Minnesota nice – Minneapolis on strike” and “ICE out now.”
Vigils featured resident Pege Miller telling the BBC, “I’m tired of protesting. We can’t comprehend how this is happening. Why are we letting this happen?”
Governor Tim Walz deemed it an “inflection point”: “I don’t care if you are conservative and you are flying a Donald Trump flag, you’re a libertarian, don’t tread on me, you’re a Democratic Socialist of America. This is an inflection point, America.”
Bipartisan voices, including Congressman James Comer and Senator Bill Cassidy, called for joint probes as the National Rifle Association urged a “full investigation.” Pretti’s family rejected “sickening lies” labelling him a terrorist: “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”