The U.S. Justice Department has launched a preliminary civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, the department said Jan. 30. The FBI is leading the review with possible assistance from the Civil Rights Division; criminal charges remain possible but face a high legal standard. Video verified by Reuters shows Pretti being wrestled to the ground while holding a cellphone and an officer removing a firearm from his body shortly before shots were fired. Local authorities are conducting a separate probe and the Pretti family has demanded a fair, impartial investigation.
DOJ Opens Civil Rights Probe After Fatal Minneapolis Shooting Of Alex Pretti
A memorial for Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the Margaret Cochran Corbin VA Campus in New York City, U.S., January 29, 2026. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department on Jan. 30 opened a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, a senior department official said.
Preliminary Federal Review
The FBI is leading a preliminary review of the incident, with potential assistance from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described the inquiry as "standard" for circumstances like those seen during the operation and emphasized that the review is preliminary. He said the investigation could ultimately lead to criminal charges, but noted prosecutors face a high legal bar to pursue such cases.
"This is what I would describe as a standard investigation by the FBI when there's circumstances like what we saw last Saturday," — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
What Is Known So Far
A preliminary review by U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that Pretti, 37, was shot by two federal officers — a Border Patrol agent and a customs officer. Video of the encounter authenticated by Reuters shows Pretti holding a cell phone as agents wrestled him to the ground and appears to show an officer removing a firearm from Pretti’s body shortly before the first shots were fired.
The shooting occurred during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis that has since prompted changes to the operation by the White House. Local officials, expressing mistrust of the federal handling of the case, have launched their own investigation.
"The family’s focus is on a fair and impartial investigation that examines the facts around his murder," — Steve Schleicher, attorney for the Pretti family (statement to Reuters).
Broader Context
Pretti was the second protester to be shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis this month. The Justice Department has not opened a criminal civil rights investigation into an earlier fatal shooting this month of Renee Good, 37, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer; Blanche previously said there was no basis for a criminal probe in that case.
Officials reiterated the preliminary status of the federal review and said any decision to bring criminal civil rights charges would depend on the evidence developed by investigators.
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