Minneapolis demonstrators march in opposition to ICE as governor calls on Trump to withdraw agents

In Minneapolis and several other US cities, protests erupted on Sunday in response to the deadly shooting by immigration officers of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, which occurred in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz remarked that America finds itself at an “inflection point,” reiterating his appeals for President Donald Trump to withdraw federal immigration agents from the city.

In contrast, Trump urged the governor to “hand over all Criminal Illegal Aliens” held in state prisons for immediate deportation.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara informed the BBC that state officers were obstructed by federal agents from entering the scene of the shooting, even after obtaining a search warrant.

He mentioned that all tiers of law enforcement in Minnesota had collaborated with federal law enforcement “for several years,” warning that the current scenario was hindering their ability to pursue ongoing investigations.

During an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Sunday, Trump hinted that he may eventually consider withdrawing ICE agents from the Minneapolis vicinity, although he did not specify a timeline.

He conveyed to the publication: “At some point we will depart. They have done an outstanding job.”

In the interview, the president remarked that his administration was “assessing everything” regarding Pretti’s death and stated that they “will produce a conclusion”.

Divergent opinions persist among lawmakers regarding Pretti’s shooting and his Second Amendment right to bear arms.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Pretti was shot for “brandishing” a firearm. Local officials assert that the weapon was legally registered, he was not brandishing it, and he was shot after the firearm was taken away.

The Trump administration has labeled Pretti as a “domestic terrorist”.

In a statement, Pretti’s family responded to this characterization, stating that “the abhorrent falsehoods propagated about our son by the administration are unacceptable and revolting”.

His family maintained he had minimal interaction with law enforcement aside from some traffic citations. According to AP, court documents indicate that he had no criminal record.

“Please disseminate the truth regarding our son. He was a good individual,” his family said in the statement.

Opposition to the Trump administration’s crackdown is intensifying, including dissent from within the Republican ranks.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt remarked on CNN that citizens were witnessing fellow Americans being shot on television and expressed that “federal strategies and accountability” have become increasingly concerning to voters.

When asked if ICE should be removed from Minnesota, Stitt replied that the president needed to answer that, but he believed he was “receiving poor advice at present”.

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy described the Minneapolis shooting as “profoundly troubling,” emphasizing that “the integrity of ICE and DHS is at risk.”

Democrats have retaliated by threatening to impede a crucial government funding bill if it allocates money to the Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, raising fears of yet another government shutdown.

Few Minnesotans who spoke with the BBC indicated support for ICE operations, while various polls suggest that around half of voters nationally back President Trump’s approach to deport those living in the US unlawfully.

Other surveys reveal voters are divided on how Trump is implementing that crackdown on undocumented individuals. A Politico poll conducted shortly after Renee Good’s death this month indicated that approximately half of Americans felt that the extensive deportation initiative was excessively aggressive.

On Sunday evening, Trump insisted in a post on Truth Social that Walz and Frey, along with “EVERY Democrat Governor and Mayor across the United States” must “officially cooperate with the Trump Administration to enforce our Nation’s Laws, rather than resist and ignite the fires of Division, Chaos, and Violence”.

He outlined a set of demands he claimed were “based on common sense,” most notably urging the US Congress to eliminate sanctuary cities, which he alleged contributed to “all these issues”.

The term ‘sanctuary city’ typically refers to jurisdictions in the US that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Trump’s comments followed statements from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who criticized Walz as desiring chaos and promoting “leftist agitators to harass and document federal personnel during lawful operations”.

On Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators in Minneapolis faced frigid temperatures to protest the shooting, while armed and masked agents deployed tear gas and stun grenades against them.

The protests have extended to other U.S. cities, with participants seen holding signs that read “Justice for Alex” and “abolish ICE” in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Leaders from over 60 Minnesota-based companies, including 3M, Best Buy, Target, and UnitedHealth Group, have signed an open letter urging for “an immediate reduction of tensions” and for local and federal government officials “to collaborate in pursuit of genuine solutions”.

Federal agents shot and fatally wounded Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday, with footage surfacing that depicts a struggle involving Border Patrol agents and Pretti just prior to the shooting.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed that the agents discharged their weapons in self-defense after Pretti, whom they allege was armed, resisted efforts to disarm him.

Eyewitnesses, local authorities, and the victim’s family have contested this narrative, asserting that he was holding a phone, rather than a firearm.

O’Hara, the chief of police in Minneapolis, conveyed to the BBC that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with no criminal history aside from traffic violations.

In Minnesota, carrying a handgun in public is permissible if one possesses a permit.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) – typically aligned with Trump – has joined other gun rights organizations in demanding a “thorough investigation” into Pretti’s death.

In a statement, they said: “Responsible public figures should await a comprehensive inquiry instead of generalizing and vilifying law-abiding individuals.”

Bovino indicated earlier that during the time of the incident, ICE agents were pursuing Jose Huerta Chuma in a “targeted” operation, noting that Chuma’s criminal background includes domestic violence, aggravated bodily harm, and disorderly conduct.

Conversely, the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) has refuted these assertions, stating that Huerta was never in its custody and that public records only reflect minor traffic violations from over a decade ago.

The recent shooting follows a period of escalating tensions among Minnesota authorities, federal agents, and demonstrators who have been observing immigration enforcement during their operations.

Earlier this month, an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident participating in such an observation.

In a statement to CBS News, the BBC’s US media partners, Good’s family’s legal representation, Romanucci & Blandin, urged all Americans to “believe what they witness when interpreting the harrowing video” documenting Pretti’s shooting.

Their statement continued: “It is necessary for a complete reset. ICE agents can exit Minneapolis. Its residents cannot. We demand a total and immediate cessation of the ICE presence in this cherished American city.”

Trump’s operations in Minneapolis were initiated in December following the conviction of several Somali immigrants in a large-scale fraud involving state welfare programs. The state has the largest population of Somali immigrants in the US.

ICE agents are authorized to stop, detain, and arrest individuals they suspect of being in the US unlawfully.