The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the move as a standard procedural response to such incidents, though he emphasized the investigation would thoroughly examine all circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation will lead the probe with support from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, according to Department of Homeland Security officials. This development follows the earlier handling of the case by Homeland Security Investigations within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Pretti, a U.S. citizen working at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital, was killed during an altercation with federal officers. A preliminary DHS report submitted to Congress indicates that two officers discharged their weapons during the confrontation, contradicting initial accounts that alleged Pretti had brandished a firearm.
The shooting occurred just weeks after another fatal incident in Minneapolis on January 7, when Renee Good was shot dead by an ICE agent. Both deaths have ignited widespread protests across Minnesota and drawn bipartisan criticism from lawmakers. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have jointly called for the complete withdrawal of federal agents from the state’s capital region.
In response to the escalating tensions, the state has petitioned a federal judge to halt Operation Metro Surge, a DHS immigration enforcement initiative involving approximately 3,000 officers that commenced on December 1.
The Trump administration has signaled potential de-escalation, with President Trump stating his administration would ‘de-escalate a little bit’ in Minnesota. Border policy advisor Tom Homan clarified that any drawdown of federal forces would be contingent on cooperation from local officials, emphasizing that the administration was ‘not surrendering our mission at all, we’re just doing it smarter.’
Two agents involved in Pretti’s shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending investigation, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.