A Republican senator has joined bipartisan calls for an investigation into the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts spoke out after the Trump administration faced mounting pressure from both sides of the political divide to fully probe the killing.
President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for causing 'chaos' leading to Pretti's death and that of another US citizen, Renee Nicole Good. He demanded Minnesota Democrats cooperate with federal authorities to enforce immigration laws, rather than 'stoke the flames of division, chaos and violence.'
Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton condemned the shooting. Obama called it 'a heartbreaking tragedy' and 'a wake-up call,' while Clinton urged Americans to 'stand up' for democracy. Their remarks added to the pressure on the Trump administration.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz rejected the administration's call to repeal sanctuary policies and share voter data, calling instead for the withdrawal of federal agents from the state. Attorney General Pam Bondi had written to Walz urging cooperation, a move criticised by state officials as 'deeply disturbing.'
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins confirmed Pretti was a VA nurse but blamed local officials for the death, saying such tragedies happen because of refusal to cooperate with the federal government. Organisers in Minneapolis are now calling for another labour strike to protest the immigration crackdown.
