Two Fatal Shots: A Minneapolis Community Confronts the Rising Toll of Federal Operations

Federal Shooting in Minneapolis Marks Second Fatal Incident During Immigration Operation

A Border Patrol agent fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti during a Minneapolis operation, sparking protests and intensifying scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics.

The death occurred less than three weeks after federal immigration officers shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in the city. The back-to-back incidents have ignited widespread protests, prompted legal action from state officials, and created a profound climate of fear within Minneapolis communities.

Conflicting Accounts of a Fatal Encounter

The shooting of Alex Pretti happened on a Minneapolis street as federal officers were conducting what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as a "targeted operation". According to a DHS statement, a Border Patrol agent fired "defensive shots" after a man with a handgun approached them and "violently resisted" when officers tried to disarm him. Federal officials stated the officer involved is an eight-year Border Patrol veteran.

However, this official account has been directly challenged by local leaders and video evidence. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara stated that police believe the man was a "lawful gun owner with a permit to carry". Bystander videos that quickly emerged on social media show Pretti with a phone in his hand; none of the initial footage appears to show him with a visible weapon. Witness videos depict agents struggling with Pretti on the ground, striking him, and surrounding him before shots are fired.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz dismissed the federal account as "nonsense" and "lies," pledging that the state would lead its own investigation. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported that federal officers initially blocked its agents from the shooting scene, even after they returned with a judicial warrant.

A City and State in Confrontation with Federal Power

The fatal shooting has dramatically escalated tensions between Minnesota officials and the Trump administration. Governor Walz has framed the large-scale federal deployment as "a campaign of organised brutality against the people of our state". Following the first shooting in January, the state of Minnesota, joined by the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed a lawsuit against the federal government. The suit seeks to stop the immigration enforcement surge, arguing it violates constitutional protections.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey expressed fury after viewing video of Pretti's death, asking, "How many more residents, how many more Americans, need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?". The Trump administration has defended its actions. President Donald Trump responded to the shooting on social media, lashing out at Governor Walz and Mayor Frey, accusing them of "inciting Insurrection". DHS maintains the operations are necessary for public safety and enforcing the law.

A Pattern of Violence Under a Growing Enforcement Push

The Minneapolis shootings are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader national escalation of immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. According to a Reuters report, federal agents have been involved in at least five shootings during immigration operations in January alone. This includes the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis on January 15 and a shooting in Portland, Oregon, where Border Patrol agents wounded a Venezuelan man and woman.

Furthermore, at least six immigrants have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities since the start of 2026. This follows at least 30 deaths in ICE custody in 2025, a two-decade high. The administration has budgeted a historic $170 billion for immigration agencies through 2029 to fund this expanded enforcement.

Daily Life Disrupted by Fear and Trauma

Beyond the headlines of protests and political clashes, the federal operation has deeply embedded fear into daily life across Minneapolis, particularly in immigrant communities and schools. With approximately 3,000 federal agents deployed in the region, arrests have occurred at school bus stops, on commutes, and at grocery stores.

The educational system has been severely disrupted. Schools have canceled classes, reinstated virtual learning options, and implemented "code yellow" lockdowns when ICE agents are sighted nearby. Teachers report children exhibiting traumatic stress—bursting into tears, having panic attacks, or soiling themselves during lockdowns. One second-grader blamed himself for his father's detention, telling his teacher, "I asked him not to go to work and I prayed to God for my dad but they took him".

Educators have shifted from standard lessons to coaching students on survival, practicing what to do if ICE agents knock on their door. "My lessons were to protect my students," said Phil, a special education teacher. "But it angers me. I am livid". Many U.S. citizens of color in the city now carry their passports with them out of fear.

A Community's Response and an Uncertain Path Forward

In response to the shooting of Alex Pretti, hundreds of protesters took to the frigid Minneapolis streets, chanting, calling federal agents "cowards," and dragging dumpsters to block roads. The Minnesota National Guard, activated earlier by Governor Walz, assisted local police in managing the demonstrations.

The situation has drawn calls for de-escalation from across the political spectrum. Amy Koch, a former Republican majority leader of the Minnesota Senate, called for a "deep tactical pause," stating, "This is an operation that is not successful, and it needs to stop".

As investigations proceed and lawsuits work through the courts, Minneapolis residents navigate a reality where the sound of a car horn or whistle—community alerts for ICE presence—triggers immediate anxiety. The city, still carrying the legacy of the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, now faces a new chapter of tension, trauma, and fundamental questions about safety, enforcement, and the reach of federal power into American communities. The human cost, as voiced by a local educator, is generational: "This is causing so much harm that is going to carry on for decades".