Trump says Alex Pretti's death at the hands of ICE in Minneapolis is "being reviewed," as outrage grows
The episode sparks a confrontation within the Republican Party and between state and federal institutions.
BarcelonaUS President Donald Trump has said his administration is "reviewing everything" after immigration agents Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Saturday.In statements to The Wall Street JournalTrump also indicated that he would withdraw the agents from the city when the time was right, but he did not specify a timeline. He was asked twice whether the agent who shot Pretti acted correctly, and the president dodged the question. "We're looking at it, we're reviewing everything, and we'll come to a conclusion." Trump added, "I don't like any shooting. I don't like it. But I also don't like someone walking into a protest with a very powerful, fully loaded gun, with two magazines also full of bullets. This doesn't look good either."
Protests continued Sunday in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities, while Minnesota Governor Tim Walz warned that the country is at a "tipping point." The events surrounding the incident—the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by immigration officers in just a few weeks—have sparked nationwide protests and further strained relations between state and federal authorities.
The administration has defended the officer who shot Pretti. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the nurse was shot because he was "flaunting" a gun. Local authorities deny this, adding that the weapon was legally registered and that Pretti He was shot dead after his firearm was taken from him, as can be seen in videos recorded by eyewitnesses.
The Trump administration is facing pressure from some prominent Republicans, who have joined Democrats in calling for a thorough investigation into the incident. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has said the investigation should involve both federal and state officials. Congressman James Comer, a Trump ally, has suggested the president should consider withdrawing immigration agents from Minneapolis and sending them elsewhere. On Fox News, he accused the city's mayor and the state's governor of endangering the agents and warned that "there is a possibility of losing more innocent lives." Trump has responded to The Wall Street Journal: "We'll go at some point. They've done a phenomenal job."
Protests in various cities
Over the weekend, several memorial services were held for Pretti in Minneapolis. Protests over his death have spread to other U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The CEOs of more than 60 Minnesota-based companies, including 3M, Best Buy, and Target, also signed an open letter calling for "an immediate de-escalation of tensions" and urging local and federal officials to "work together to find real solutions." Lawmakers remain divided over Pretti's shooting and his Second Amendment right to bear arms. In Minnesota, it is legal to carry a handgun in public with a permit. The administration has described the Minneapolis operation as a public safety effort aimed at deporting criminals who are in the United States illegally. It has also described Pretti as a "domestic terrorist." Pretti's family issued a statement in response to these remarks: "The disgusting lies the administration has told about our son are reprehensible and revolting." They added that he had no interactions with the police beyond a handful of traffic tickets. According to the Associated Press (AP), court records show he had no criminal record. "Please tell the truth about our son. He was a good man," the family said in the statement.
Protesters warn that migrants without criminal records and U.S. citizens are also being detained. This outcry, six months before the midterm elections, is growing louder, even within the Republican Party. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, told CNN that people see fellow citizens being shot on television and that "federal tactics and accountability" have become a growing concern for voters. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy also said the Minneapolis shooting was "incredibly disturbing" and that "the credibility of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security is at stake." Democrats have responded to the events by threatening to block a key government funding package if it includes funds for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, reopening the possibility of another government shutdown. Former Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have also criticized the situation in Minneapolis. Clinton called the events "horrific scenes" that he "never thought would happen in America," while Obama warned in a statement that "many of our fundamental values as a nation are increasingly under attack." Several polls indicate that roughly half of the nation's voters support Trump's efforts to deport people living illegally in the United States, but other surveys show voters are divided on how Trump is carrying out this crackdown on undocumented immigration. Meanwhile, on Sunday night, Trump demanded in a post to Truth Social that Walz and Frey, as well as "any Democratic governor and mayor in America," "formally cooperate with the Trump administration to enforce the nation's laws, instead of resisting and stoking the flames." He has also urged the U.S. Congress to end so-called "sanctuary cities," which refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in carrying out deportations.
Trump's posts came after statements from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemning Walz for wanting chaos and encouraging "left-wing agitators" to harass and search federal agents "in the midst of lawful operations."
