WASHINGTON, D.C. (The COW News Digital )Demonstrations have erupted in several U.S. states following the fatal shooting of a civilian by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, renewing national debate over law enforcement tactics and immigration enforcement policies.
On January 24, 2026, federal immigration agents — including officers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol — shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to multiple news reports and official statements.
Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse at a Veterans Affairs medical center, was identified by his family as a devoted healthcare worker and U.S. citizen who previously participated in protests against ICE actions. Family and local advocates say video footage from the incident shows Pretti was holding only a phone and attempting to help others when agents tackled and fatally shot him. Federal authorities, however, have claimed agents fired in self-defense after alleged resistance, saying a weapon was found at the scene.
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The shooting followed another controversial incident earlier in January in which 37-year-old Renée Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent during a separate operation in Minneapolis.
In response to Pretti’s death, protests have spread well beyond Minnesota. Thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Minneapolis despite freezing temperatures, calling for accountability from ICE and broader reforms in U.S. immigration policies. Demonstrations have also taken place in major cities including New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., with crowds chanting against federal immigration enforcement and demanding justice for the victims.
Activists and civil rights groups have denounced the federal response as excessive and called for an end to aggressive immigration operations. Some protest organizers are also urging elected officials to investigate the use of force by ICE and to reconsider funding for federal immigration enforcement efforts. Meanwhile, local and state leaders in Minnesota have criticized federal authorities for blocking state investigators from the shooting scene and called for independent investigations.
The unfolding protests highlight growing tensions in the United States over immigration enforcement and federal policing powers, especially as communities grapple with the deaths of civilians during operations that have drawn widespread scrutiny and public outrage.
