Intro: Trump defended his administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown after a second fatal shooting by federal agents.
Minneapolis
Officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration defended the fatal shooting of a US citizen by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, even as video footage recorded by bystanders appeared to contradict their official account.
The incident has intensified tensions between federal authorities and Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, triggering renewed calls for limits on federal enforcement operations in the state.
The shooting occurred and resulted in the death of Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen. As residents braved frigid temperatures and snowfall to visit a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles, federal officials insisted that immigration agents acted in self-defense.
According to the administration’s account, Pretti assaulted officers, leaving them no option but to use lethal force.
However, videos captured by witnesses at the scene present a sharply different version of events. The footage shows Pretti holding only a cell phone before agents confronted him, forced him to the ground, and ultimately shot him at close range. The videos have circulated widely on social media, fuelling public outrage and raising questions about the use of force by federal officers.
Pretti’s death marks the second fatal shooting of an American citizen by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month. The city has seen an unprecedented deployment of thousands of armed and masked federal agents as part of a broader deportation drive ordered by President Trump. Critics argue the operation has stretched legal boundaries and endangered civilians.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, again urged President Trump to withdraw federal agents from the state. Minnesota has asked a federal judge to restrain what it describes as unconstitutional excesses in the federal surge, citing interference with local law enforcement and civil rights concerns.
Despite mounting criticism, senior officials continued to defend the agents’ actions. Gregory Bovino, a senior Border Patrol official, claimed on CNN’s State of the Union that the true victims were federal officers. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed that position, dismissing claims raised by local leaders and members of Congress.
