Governor Tim Walz sharply criticized recent federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota after a fatal Minneapolis encounter left VA nurse Alex Pretti dead. Walz compared the raids to the story of Anne Frank and said some children are now afraid to go outside. Federal officials insist Pretti was armed and resisted, while state authorities allege evidence was obstructed and have filed a lawsuit to prevent tampering. The incident has escalated into a legal and political dispute over transparency and tactics.
Gov. Tim Walz Compares Federal Immigration Raids To Anne Frank’s Story After Minneapolis Shooting
This undated photo provided by Michael Pretti shows Alex J. Pretti, the man who was shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026.(AP Newsroom)
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Sunday delivered a sharp rebuke of recent federal immigration enforcement actions in the state, invoking The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank after a second fatal encounter involving federal officers in Minneapolis.
The Saturday incident left 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an intensive-care nurse with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, dead following an interaction with immigration agents. Federal officials initially reported Pretti was armed and resisted officers; local accounts and some witnesses say he had been disarmed before being fatally shot.
A screengrab from a video shows a law enforcement officer spraying irritants at Alex Pretti before he was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 24, 2026.
Walz: Children Are Afraid, Officials Smear The Victim
At a news briefing, Walz said aggressive federal operations have left some Minnesota children too fearful to go outside. He drew a parallel to Anne Frank, saying, “We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside. Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank.”
“Somebody is going to write that children's story about Minnesota, and there's one person who can end this now,” Walz said, addressing President Donald Trump and suggesting the administration could change the tactics he criticized.
Walz sharply accused the president and senior federal officials of smearing the victim and trying to suppress or obscure evidence. “This family has gone through enough,” Walz said of Pretti’s relatives. “And to have the most powerful man in the world drag their dead son with absolutely no evidence and gaslight the entire country is despicable beyond all description.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks beside a screen showing an image of a handgun during a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2026.
Federal Claims And Political Pushback
White House and federal officials defended the operation. President Trump said Pretti was armed and carried two extra magazines; White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller described Pretti as a “would-be assassin” and “domestic terrorist,” and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti “violently resisted” and that an agent fired while “fearing for his life.”
Walz responded by portraying Pretti as a respected, law-abiding VA nurse who held a concealed-carry permit and had no criminal record. He criticized rapid public portrayals of the deceased as a “crazed domestic terrorist” by top federal figures, including Vice President JD Vance and Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino.
Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks to reporters at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. January 5, 2026.
Investigation And Lawsuit
Walz alleged that federal agents blocked state investigators from the scene and attempted to destroy or alter evidence. “Then closing the crime scene, sweeping away the evidence, defying a court order and not allowing anyone to look at it,” he said.
On Saturday, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking to prevent the destruction or alteration of evidence related to the shooting. The suit names the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Attorney General Pam Bondi as defendants.
The shooting and the competing narratives from federal and state officials have ignited a legal and political battle over law enforcement tactics, transparency and public safety in Minnesota. The matter remains under investigation.
Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
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