CBP Agents Involved In Alex Pretti Shooting Placed On Admin Leave
Two federal immigration officers involved in a deadly confrontation with Alex Pretti in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed — a routine step following officer-involved shootings that officials stressed should not be interpreted as evidence of misconduct.
The agents, one from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and another from the Border Patrol, were involved in a Jan. 24 incident in Minneapolis’s Eat Street district that resulted in the death of Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Pending an internal review, both officers have been removed from field duty.
Homeland Security officials emphasized that administrative leave is standard procedure and does not imply wrongdoing as investigators examine body-worn camera footage and other evidence tied to the encounter.
The shooting marked the second fatal incident involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month, following the Jan. 7 death of Renée Good during a separate enforcement operation. Together, the incidents have sparked protests and intensified national scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
In a formal notice to Congress, DHS confirmed that two federal officers fired their weapons during the confrontation with Pretti. Federal and local authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting as demonstrations and public pressure persist.
President Donald J. Trump has dispatched senior border enforcement officials to Minneapolis while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to law and order. Acknowledging the scrutiny facing federal agencies, Trump stated that “no agency is perfect,” signaling that operational reviews may occur even as enforcement continues.
Additional attention emerged Wednesday after the BBC released video footage showing an individual identified as Pretti confronting ICE agents roughly two weeks before his death. The video depicts Pretti arguing with agents who were blocking a street, spitting toward them, and kicking out a tail light on their vehicle. Agents then exited the SUV and took him to the ground, though no arrest followed.
As tensions escalated on the ground, the Trump administration secured a major legal victory Monday when a federal appeals court overturned a lower-court ruling that had sharply restricted ICE operations during violent protests in Minneapolis.
A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a full stay of an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez, which had temporarily barred federal agents from detaining, pepper-spraying, or otherwise engaging with protesters without probable cause.
The appellate panel said it reviewed the same video evidence cited by the district court but reached a starkly different conclusion. Judges wrote that the footage showed both peaceful and aggressive protest activity and demonstrated federal agents responding appropriately to a wide range of evolving situations.
The ruling restores full enforcement authority to ICE and DHS officers operating under Operation Metro Surge — the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to target criminal illegal aliens in the Twin Cities region.
The case stemmed from a civil rights lawsuit filed by six protesters who alleged ICE and DHS agents violated their First and Fourth Amendment rights during confrontations earlier this month. Menendez, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, sided with the plaintiffs on Jan. 16 and issued an injunction that significantly curtailed ICE’s ability to respond to protesters and self-described “observers.”
In her order, Menendez cited allegations involving pepper spray use, traffic stops, and arrests of individuals she characterized as peacefully observing immigration operations.
The appeals court, however, found that the district court failed to fully consider evidence of violent and obstructive behavior, including protesters blocking streets, surrounding federal vehicles, and attempting to interfere with active arrests.
The three-judge panel emphasized that law enforcement officers must retain reasonable discretion to address unpredictable and escalating threats, warning that the district court’s restrictions were impractical and posed serious safety risks.
The Department of Justice, which filed an emergency appeal, praised the ruling as a decisive affirmation of the federal government’s constitutional authority to enforce immigration law and protect its officers amid unrest.