Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed while observing ICE activity in Minneapolis, the second civilian fatality in recent weeks amid intensified federal immigration enforcement. Residents held vigils and built a memorial at the scene while protests spread statewide and nationally. City officials sought a temporary restraining order to curb federal agents’ actions as new videos and public outcry raised questions about enforcement tactics. Local leaders warn police resources are strained, and neighborhood networks have mobilized to protect vulnerable residents.
Minneapolis Mourns Alex Pretti: Residents Hold Vigils and Push Back Against Federal Immigration Raids
People gather near the scene where Alex Pretti was fatally shot by a US border patrol officer yesterday, in Minneapolis, on Sunday.Photograph: Adam Gray/AP(Photograph: Adam Gray/AP)
The temperature hovered around zero degrees as reporters, neighbors and mourners gathered at the spot where federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse who was observing ICE activity in Minneapolis. His death — the second recent killing of a civilian amid heightened federal immigration enforcement in the city — has renewed protests, legal challenges and community organizing.
Scene, Memorial and Community Response
Immediately after the Saturday shooting, residents erected makeshift barricades — wooden pallets, trash cans and furniture — to block traffic. The city later established a security perimeter after clashes in which federal officers used chemical irritants and stun devices; debris from those devices remained scattered in the street. By Sunday morning the temporary barriers were gone, police vehicles idled nearby, and city officials said the perimeter and a previously requested National Guard presence had been lifted.
A growing memorial marked the site: flowers, candles and hand-written signs pressed into the snowbank and asphalt. Spray-painted messages reading "ICE OUT" and explicit anti-ICE slogans appeared on overpasses and building facades. A Saturday evening vigil drew several hundred people in subzero temperatures; similar vigils and protests sprang up across Minnesota and around the country.
Legal And Official Responses
Minneapolis officials moved quickly to seek court action, filing for an immediate temporary restraining order aimed at limiting federal agents’ activities in the city. New videos surfaced showing federal officers physically confronting observers outside a north Minneapolis apartment building — footage that residents say contradicts federal explanations of events.
“Last night, thousands of people came out to remember Alex Pretti and Renee Good,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote on Twitter, noting the gatherings were peaceful with no arrests reported.
Federal officials have defended agents’ actions and blamed local leaders — including the mayor and governor — for failing to cooperate. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Governor Tim Walz demanding state data on food assistance programs, an end to sanctuary policies and the state’s voting rolls.
Strain On Local Resources And Grassroots Support
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said his officers were "stretched incredibly thin" and described the situation as unsustainable after multiple shootings in recent weeks. Community members report an expanding informal network of neighbors who escort children to school, deliver groceries and supplies to those who cannot leave home, and provide rides for residents fearful of being stopped.
“A community uniting around the idea that everyone belongs does not mourn alone,” wrote former Mayor R.T. Rybak, urging unity in the face of national attention.
The federal operation shows no sign of slowing, and national attention continues to amplify local concerns. As investigations, legal actions and protests proceed, residents and officials are left to navigate a tense, evolving situation that has already cost two civilian lives in the span of weeks.
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