Walz Threatens Federal Agents Again After Latest Minneapolis Shooting
Minnesota’s Democratic leadership is escalating its confrontation with the federal government following the Jan. 24 fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a U.S. Border Patrol agent—an incident now being leveraged to challenge President Donald J. Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts during his second term.
Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials have vowed that Minnesota “will have the last word” on the shooting, framing the incident as a consequence of what they characterize as the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration operations. Those same operations, however, have faced open resistance from Walz and fellow Democrats long before the shooting occurred.
“I have a strong statement here for our federal government,” Walz. “Minnesota’s justice system will have the last word on this. It must have the last word.”
At Walz’s request, Minnesota National Guard troops were deployed Saturday to secure the scene of the shooting and the Whipple Federal Building, a known staging area for immigration enforcement that has increasingly become a focal point for protests.
“The Minnesota National Guard’s mission remains the same: preserving life, protecting property, and ensuring Minnesotans can safely exercise their First Amendment rights,” Army Maj. Andrea Tsuchiya, a state National Guard public affairs officer, said in a statement.
Pretti, a U.S. citizen and intensive care unit nurse employed by the VA, was killed during an encounter with federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. Federal authorities stated that Pretti was armed with a handgun and alleged he intended to use it against law enforcement. According to officials, a struggle occurred before an agent discharged his weapon.
The shooting comes on the heels of another fatal incident earlier this month involving Renee Nicole Good, 37, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer—an event that similarly triggered protests and renewed scrutiny of federal law enforcement activity in the state.
Former acting ICE Director Jonathan Fahey sharply criticized Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Saturday, accusing both Democrats of deliberately obstructing federal immigration enforcement. Fahey argued that their actions amount to a coordinated effort to undermine President Trump’s immigration agenda.
Fahey made the remarks during an appearance on Fox News with host Jon Scott on Fox Report, shortly after Frey publicly called on Trump to remove ICE and U.S. Border Patrol agents from Minnesota following the shooting.
During the segment, Fox News aired footage of Frey describing recent anti-ICE demonstrations as “peaceful” and claiming they “embody the very principles” of what it means to be an American. Fahey forcefully rejected that portrayal.
“[Frey’s] talking about our democracy,” Fahey said. “Well, part of our democracy is we have elections and we pass laws, and the Executive branch enforces the laws. And he’s using his authority to prevent the law from being enforced.”
Fahey went further, accusing both Frey and Walz of creating de facto “no-go zones” for federal immigration agents.
“It’s a complete subversion effort by him and Governor Walz — the likes of which we have not seen probably since the Civil War,” Fahey said.
He emphasized that the president has a constitutional obligation to ensure federal laws are enforced uniformly across the country, regardless of political opposition at the state or local level.
“You can’t have a state, you can’t have a politician, and you can’t have some activists decide what federal laws get enforced and where they get enforced,” Fahey said. “It’s really outrageous conduct.”
Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino provided additional details, stating that Pretti approached agents with a 9 mm handgun as they were apprehending a violent illegal immigrant from Ecuador.
“The suspect also had two loaded magazines and no accessible ID,” Bovino said. “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”
As protests continue and Democratic officials threaten legal and political retaliation, the confrontation in Minnesota underscores the growing divide between state leaders aligned with the activist left and a federal government determined to enforce immigration law and restore order.