A federal judge appointed by Donald Trump has criticised senior administration officials for making “troubling” and politically motivated statements following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by immigration officers in Minneapolis. However, Judge Eric C. Tostrud ruled that the inflammatory remarks and potential mishandling of evidence do not justify blocking federal agencies from handling the case for now.
In a ruling on Monday, Judge Tostrud dissolved a temporary restraining order that had prevented the Department of Homeland Security from destroying or altering evidence. The order was originally granted hours after the shooting last month, following a lawsuit by Minnesota officials. The judge expressed concern about statements from administration officials, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who labelled Pretti a “domestic terrorist” on social media. A Homeland Security post described the incident as an attempted “massacre” of law enforcement, later echoed by Secretary Kristi Noem.
Judge Tostrud wrote that these comments reflected “snap judgments informed by speculation and motivated by political partisanship” rather than a genuine interest in the truth. However, he found no evidence that the statements indicated an intent to destroy evidence. The judge also noted that some evidence may have been lost or damaged after the shooting, but attributed this to a “volatile” crowd that “overran” the scene, rather than deliberate misconduct by federal officers.
The judge acknowledged that officers mishandled Pretti’s firearm, which was posted on social media shortly after his death, but said this did not warrant a broader preservation order. The initial investigation is being led by Homeland Security Investigations, with evidence transferred to the FBI. Body-worn camera footage has been preserved, according to court filings.
Separately, the Department of Justice has opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting, while the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is conducting its own inquiry into the death of Renee Good, who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on January 7. County Attorney Mary Moriarty has demanded evidence from federal authorities, with a deadline of February 17 for a response.
