Monday, January 26, 2026-The fatal shooting of 37‑year‑old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an intensive care nurse and U.S. citizen, by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis has sparked widespread protests across multiple American cities.
Pretti was killed during an immigration enforcement operation, and video footage circulating online which shows him holding a phone and not brandishing a weapon when he was tackled and shot has fueled public outrage and deepened distrust of federal immigration tactics. Protests have gathered in Minneapolis in bitter cold, with demonstrators chanting against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanding accountability and an end to aggressive enforcement actions.
The demonstrations quickly expanded beyond Minnesota, spreading to major urban centers including New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Providence, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and other locales, where people rallied against federal immigration policies and the use of force by enforcement agents.
Protesters have called for ICE to leave Minnesota, chanted slogans against federal agencies, and held vigils and marches in memory of Pretti and another Minneapolis resident, Renée Good, who was also killed by a federal agent earlier in the month. Memorials have grown at the Minneapolis shooting site, and many participants are demanding broader immigration policy reforms and greater oversight of federal law enforcement.
The response from local and national leaders reflects a deepening political and legal clash: Minnesota officials, including the governor and city police chief, have condemned the shooting and called for state‑led investigations, while federal authorities defend the agents’ actions as necessary self‑defense.
The intensity of the protests has led to the deployment of the National Guard in Minneapolis and sharp criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, with some Republican voices also calling for investigations. The incident is now a focal point of national debate over immigration enforcement, use of force, and the role of federal agents in communities.
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