The Trump administration came under renewed pressure on Sunday following the fatal shooting of a second US citizen by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, as newly surfaced video contradicted official claims about the incident.
Federal agents shot dead Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, during a confrontation on an icy road on Saturday — less than three weeks after another US citizen, Renee Good, was killed in a separate encounter with immigration officers in the city.
Authorities initially claimed Pretti intended to harm agents and cited a pistol allegedly found on him. However, widely shared and verified video footage showed Pretti never drawing a weapon before agents fired multiple shots moments after spraying him with a chemical irritant and forcing him to the ground.
Pretti’s parents condemned what they described as “sickening lies” by the administration, rejecting claims that their son attacked officers. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem later struck a more conciliatory tone, expressing sympathy for the family while maintaining that the agents’ actions were justified pending an investigation.
Calls for an independent probe intensified, including from senior Republicans, after Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accused the federal government of lacking credibility and vowed that the state would lead its own investigation.
The killing has further inflamed opposition to “Operation Metro Surge,” a controversial immigration crackdown in Minneapolis that has sparked protests, legal action and growing public backlash, with a court already ordering federal authorities to preserve all evidence related to the shooting.
