MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration has acknowledged potential procedural violations by immigration agents during operations in Minneapolis that resulted in the fatal shooting of a nurse, signaling a shift in tone amid growing national outcry. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller stated Tuesday that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents may have failed to adhere to established protocols during the incident that claimed the life of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
The administration’s conciliatory stance emerged alongside a disturbing security breach targeting Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who was assaulted with an unknown liquid from a syringe during a town hall meeting where she had been criticizing the administration’s immigration policies. The simultaneous developments underscore the volatile atmosphere in the city following weeks of escalating tensions between federal authorities and local communities.
President Trump, in comments to Fox News, indicated his administration would “de-escalate a little bit” its operations in Minneapolis while emphasizing the move did not constitute a full withdrawal. The president distanced himself from previous inflammatory rhetoric, specifically rejecting the “assassin” label previously applied to Pretti by Miller, and called for “a very honorable and honest investigation” into the shooting.
The administration’s reassessment includes the expected departure of Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, whom Trump characterized as “a pretty out-there kind of a guy” whose presence may have exacerbated tensions. Top border security official Tom Homan has been dispatched to Minneapolis for meetings with local officials, including Mayor Jacob Frey, who reiterated the city’s position that it “will not enforce federal immigration laws.”
The Pretti shooting marks the second fatal incident involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks, following the death of US citizen Renee Good. Both cases have drawn national attention to the tactics employed by masked, heavily armed immigration agents operating in urban centers, with multiple video recordings contradicting initial official accounts that portrayed Pretti as a threatening “domestic terrorist.”