IRIA News

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot and killed a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026, triggering large-scale protests across the country and sharp condemnations from local and state leaders.

The incident marked the second fatal and third shooting of a U.S. citizen by immigration officers in Minneapolis this month and intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement operations in the city.

The Department of Homeland Security described the shooting as an act of self-defense, saying a Border Patrol agent fired after a man approached officers with a handgun and violently resisted attempts to disarm him. Video evidence circulating online, however, has raised questions about that account and fueled public anger.

The man killed was identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a registered nurse who worked in the intensive care unit at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, which serves veterans.

Large protests spread across U.S. cities on Saturday, including Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, and Providence, Rhode Island. Demonstrations followed a march the day before in Minneapolis, where more than 10,000 people protested the recent surge in immigration enforcement operations in the city.

Despite subzero temperatures, protesters again took to the streets to denounce ICE and to show support for Pretti and others affected by the crackdown.

“F*ck ICE, ICE out,” crowds shouted in Minneapolis, according to livestream footage. In New York City, thousands gathered in Union Square chanting, “Say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ICE!”

New York City Council member Chi Osse addressed demonstrators in freezing weather, calling for the abolition of ICE. “We need Nuremberg trials for the people of ICE, for the people who are committing crimes against humanity here in our country. I refuse to call them law enforcement. They are agents of chaos. They are destroying the fabric of our country,” Osse said.

In Washington, a large crowd gathered outside the Department of Homeland Security headquarters, chanting “shame” late into the night. In San Francisco, hundreds assembled downtown holding signs reading “stand up fight back” and calling for justice for Pretti and Renee Good, another Minneapolis resident killed by an immigration officer earlier this month.

Hundreds also marched in Los Angeles, where immigration raids over the summer targeted car washes, farms, Home Depot stores, and other workplaces. Protesters held banners reading, “From Los Angeles to Minneapolis, stop ICE terror.”

In Providence, demonstrators rallied outside the local DHS office, chanting “Shut it down,” and holding signs reading “No Tyrants & No Kings” and “ICE is the worst of the worst.” In Boston, crowds chanted, “One, two, three, four, ICE detention no more! Five, six, seven, eight, end the terror and the hate!”

Shooting Incident

According to DHS, Pretti approached Border Patrol agents with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun during an immigration operation. Officials said agents attempted to disarm him and fired after he resisted.

Federal agents in Minneapolis wrestled Alex Pretti to the ground and secured the handgun he was carrying moments before shooting him multiple times, according to a Washington Post analysis of video footage.

Read more: https://t.co/gs55sapKJH pic.twitter.com/0LwulTgqLy

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 25, 2026

However, bystander videos reviewed and verified show Pretti holding a phone, not a gun, as he filmed agents pushing protesters to the ground. The footage shows Pretti stepping between an agent and two women who were shoved aside, raising his arm as he was pepper-sprayed.

Several agents then wrestled Pretti to the ground and pinned him on his hands and knees. A voice can be heard shouting what appears to be a warning about a gun. Video then appears to show an agent removing a firearm from Pretti and stepping away.

Moments later, footage shows an officer firing four shots into Pretti’s back. Additional shots are heard shortly afterward. Agents initially backed away from Pretti’s body before some appeared to provide medical assistance, as others pushed bystanders back. One analyst suggested video evidence indicated Pretti no longer had a weapon when shots were fired.

Conflicting Accounts and Official Stance

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti had attacked agents during an immigration raid. “He wasn’t there to peacefully protest. He was there to perpetuate violence,” Noem said.

Federal officials released an image of a handgun they say Pretti was carrying. Noem did not say whether Pretti pulled the weapon.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry and had no criminal record beyond traffic violations. Minnesota law allows citizens to carry handguns in public with a permit and does not require concealment.

"All we ask is that before you turn violent criminals out on the streets, let us know so we can pick them up," says @Sec_Noem on Minneapolis.

"We've asked for that partnership. We get it everywhere else in the country… We wish that Minnesota could be the same." pic.twitter.com/PJDLHUfDk6

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 25, 2026

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said the video footage was deeply disturbing. “I’ve seen the video from several angles, and it’s sickening,” Walz said. “The federal government cannot be trusted to lead this investigation – the state will handle it.”

The head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said federal agents blocked state investigators from accessing the scene on Saturday.

Community Mourning in Minneapolis

As night fell in Minneapolis, hundreds gathered quietly at the site of the shooting, forming a memorial despite dangerously cold conditions. Some held signs reading “Justice for Alex Pretti,” while others chanted the names of Pretti and Renee Good.

Nearby businesses opened their doors to protesters, offering warmth, water, coffee, and snacks.

Caleb Spike, who traveled from a nearby suburb, said, “It feels like every day something crazier happens. What’s happening in our community is wrong, it’s sickening, it’s disgusting.”

Tensions escalated earlier when armed and masked federal agents deployed tear gas and flashbang grenades against protesters in the neighborhood following the shooting.

Political Fallout and Calls to End Operations

The killing intensified already-strained relations between Minnesota officials and the Trump administration following the January 7 shooting of Renee Good.

State and local officials called for an immediate halt to federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. “How many more residents, how many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said.

President Donald Trump accused local leaders of encouraging unrest. “The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric,” Trump wrote on social media.

Vice President JD Vance, who visited Minneapolis earlier in the week, accused local officials of failing to support federal immigration agents. Walz responded that the enforcement surge had strained local police resources.

Local authorities urged calm as city police and state troopers moved in to manage crowds. The Minneapolis Institute of Art closed early due to safety concerns, and an NBA game featuring the Minnesota Timberwolves was postponed.