Federal immigration officers in Minneapolis are privately urging a pullback after two fatal shootings — of nurse Alex Pretti and mother Renee Nicole Good — that agents say exposed leadership failures and stretched resources. Sources told reporter Ken Klippenstein that morale is collapsing, newer recruits are criticized, and teams are being diverted from immigration work to policing protests. Political turmoil at DHS and falling public approval for the administration’s immigration approach have intensified pressure on federal enforcement.
‘Battle Is Lost’: ICE Agents Say Minnesota Mission Should Be Abandoned After Two Fatal Shootings
Alex Kormann / ALEX KORMANN / Star Tribune via Getty Images(Alex Kormann)
Experienced ICE and Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis are privately urging a withdrawal from the operation there after two recent fatal shootings — one that killed VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti and an earlier incident that took the life of mother Renee Nicole Good. The reporting, based on private chats and interviews published by journalist Ken Klippenstein and coverage in The Daily Beast, describes collapsing morale, leadership turmoil and a force stretched thin by protest policing.
Demonstrators create a makeshift barricade near the site where Alex Pretti was shot dead on Jan. 24. Their anger toward federal agents is palpable. / ROBERTO SCHMIDT / ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images
What Happened
According to Klippenstein’s reporting, Pretti, 37, was shot multiple times in the back during a confrontation recorded on video. Two weeks earlier, ICE agent Jonathan Ross, 43, shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, an unarmed mother — an incident that has already prompted intense scrutiny inside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Federal agents look on as demonstrators gather near where Pretti was shot. They are reported to fear for their own safety. / ROBERTO SCHMIDT / ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images
Frontline Reaction
Agents quoted in private chats and interviews describe a unit that feels overwhelmed and miscast for street-level protest policing. One Border Patrol officer told Klippenstein, “I think it’s time to pull out of Minnesota, that battle is lost.” Others said morale is collapsing, blamed in part on inexperienced recruits and what some described as lax hiring standards.
A photo of Alex Pretti is displayed at a makeshift memorial in the area where he was shot dead by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. / OCTAVIO JONES / Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images
“The brand new agents are idiots,” one veteran ICE agent said. “A lot of the guys… are honestly pretty sketchy,” a newer recruit added, describing behavior he did not expect in federal law enforcement.
Operational Strain
Sources say Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) teams have been frequently diverted from immigration targets to police protests, often under guidance that labels some demonstrators as “impeding” federal functions or ties them to radical groups. Officers report threat briefings now focus heavily on alleged "retaliatory" plots against federal personnel following the two shootings, contributing to fear and paranoia in the ranks.
Alex Pretti was hauled to the ground by a group of Border Patrol agents and shot multiple times, after he went to the aid of a woman who had been shoved by them. Despite several videos showing this, Pretti was still branded a
Leadership And Political Fallout
The reporting ties the frontline crisis to broader political and leadership upheaval at DHS: demotions, the sudden removal of an on-the-ground commander, and the arrival of new enforcement figures to stabilise operations. News coverage has named a number of political actors and internal advisers said to be involved in reshuffling leadership. Readers should note that some outlets have attributed specific personnel decisions and motives to unnamed internal sources.
Trump and his chief of staff held a meeting with Noem at Noem's request. / The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Im
Accounts And Controversies
Several agents criticized official explanations of the shootings. One agent characterized Pretti’s killing as “yet another ‘justified’ fatal shooting… ten versus one” and questioned why less-than-lethal options were not used. Another claimed one of the victims was “shot 8 to 9 times while unarmed” and said there was a “knee jerk damage control narrative that does not line up with the evidence on video.”
Kristi Noem, Corey Lewandowski, and Greg Bovino. / The Daily Beast/Getty
Public Reaction
Beyond the agency, public sentiment appears to be shifting. A Reuters/Ipsos poll cited in the coverage found just 39% of Americans approve of President Trump’s handling of immigration, and 58% say ICE has “gone too far.” The administration’s rhetorical posture has softened in public remarks, even as some advisers use more combative language in private or in media statements.
Looking Ahead
Agents and operational managers interviewed say the combination of low morale, political interference, and mission creep — from immigration enforcement to protest policing — risks more operational failures and legal exposure for DHS. Several senior managers are reported to be tied up in legal meetings as the agency responds to the fallout, a situation field officers interpret as creating a leadership vacuum.
Note on Sources: This article synthesizes reporting by Ken Klippenstein (Substack) and coverage in The Daily Beast and Reuters/Ipsos poll results. Where internal personnel claims are reported, they are attributed to anonymous agents or internal chats as described by those outlets.
The Daily Beast and other outlets contacted DHS and the White House for comment on these developments.
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