Federal and State Officials Clash Over Immigration Crackdown After Minneapolis Shooting
In a series of duelling news conferences on Sunday, federal and state officials presented starkly contrasting messages regarding the immigration crackdown that has intensified across Minneapolis and surrounding cities. Both sides claimed the moral high ground following another fatal shooting involving federal agents, creating a profound political and legal standoff.
Governor and Federal Commander Offer Dueling Narratives
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz directly challenged the public, framing the conflict as a fundamental choice. "Which side do you want to be on?" Walz asked. "The side of an all-powerful federal government that could kill, injure, menace and kidnap its citizens off the streets, or on the side of a nurse at the VA hospital who died bearing witness to such government." His statement referenced the shooting of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday in Minneapolis.
Simultaneously, approximately twenty miles away in a federal office building, Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, the public face of the enforcement operation, shifted blame onto Pretti. "When someone makes the choice to come into an active law enforcement scene, interfere, obstruct, delay or assault a law enforcement officer and — and they bring a weapon to do that. That is a choice that that individual made," Bovino told assembled reporters.
Video Evidence Contradicts Official Accounts
The competing narratives emerged as bystander video footage, reviewed by The Associated Press, appeared to contradict statements from President Donald Trump's administration. Officials had claimed agents fired "defensively" as Pretti approached them. The video shows Pretti with only a mobile phone in his hand, stepping between an immigration agent and a woman on a commercial street in south Minneapolis. No footage appears to show him brandishing a weapon.
During the ensuing scuffle, agents appear to discover and disarm Pretti after finding he was carrying a licensed 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, before opening fire multiple times. In the immediate aftermath, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asserted Pretti had attacked officers, while Bovino suggested he wanted to "massacre law enforcement." By Sunday, Bovino adopted a more restrained tone, stating he would not speculate and would await the investigation's findings.
Family Outrage and Legal Action
Pretti's family issued a heartbroken and angry statement, condemning federal officials' descriptions of the event. "The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting," the statement read. "Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand, and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son."
The shooting occurred just over a mile from where an ICE officer killed 37-year-old Renee Good on January 7th, an incident that had already sparked widespread protests. In response, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit on Saturday, leading a federal judge to issue an order blocking the Trump administration from "destroying or altering evidence" related to the shooting. Ellison emphasised that a "full, impartial, and transparent investigation" was non-negotiable. A court hearing is scheduled for Monday in federal court in St. Paul.
Investigative Hurdles and Political Condemnation
Drew Evans, superintendent of the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, revealed that federal officers blocked his agency from the shooting scene even after it obtained a signed judicial warrant on Saturday. By Sunday morning, state officers were finally able to work at the location. Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin dismissed the state's lawsuit, calling claims of evidence destruction "a ridiculous attempt to divide the American people."
The political fallout was immediate and widespread. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara stated he had seen no evidence that Pretti brandished his pistol and lamented the toll the crackdown was taking on his department. "This is taking an enormous toll, trying to manage all this chaos on top of having to be the police department for a major city. It's too much," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation."
Democratic lawmakers, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, demanded federal immigration authorities leave Minnesota. Former President Barack Obama called Pretti's death a "heartbreaking tragedy" and warned that core national values were "increasingly under assault," urging the White House to collaborate with city and state officials.
Gun Rights and Protest Dynamics
Federal officials repeatedly questioned why Pretti was armed during the confrontation. However, gun rights groups noted the legality of carrying firearms during protests. The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus stated, "Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms — including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights. These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed."
Nationwide Protests and Community Mourning
Demonstrations erupted in several cities including New York, Washington, and Los Angeles following the shooting. In Minneapolis, despite dangerously cold temperatures around minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 21 Celsius), protesters converged in the neighbourhood where Pretti was killed. An angry crowd screamed profanities at federal officers, calling them "cowards" and demanding they leave. Protesters used large garbage bins to block streets, with at least one set alight.
As darkness fell, hundreds gathered quietly at a growing memorial at the shooting site. Nearby businesses, including a doughnut shop and clothing store, stayed open to offer warmth. By morning, the scene was calm. Brett Williams, 37, who travelled from the suburbs for a vigil, expressed solidarity, saying, "I stand in solidarity with a brother whose life was taken too soon. He's standing up for immigrants. We're all immigrants."
The Minnesota National Guard had temporarily assisted local police at Governor Walz's direction, with troops deployed to the shooting site and a federal building where daily standoffs with demonstrators occurred. However, Chief O'Hara confirmed that by Sunday, policing had returned to normal Minneapolis Police operations.
