Minnesota Sees New Wave of Protests After Federal Agent Shooting

By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News
Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — 26 January 2026

Overview

Cities across Minnesota in the United States are experiencing renewed protests and political pressure after a federal agent shot and killed a civilian in Minneapolis on 24 January 2026. The death has drawn large street demonstrations, union statements, and legal actions. This article reports on the most recent developments in the conflict over federal immigration enforcement in the region.

What Happened in Minneapolis

On 24 January 2026, a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex Jeffrey Pretti during a federal immigration enforcement action. Authorities say the agent acted in self-defense. Witnesses and family members dispute parts of that description and say Pretti was unarmed when he was shot while filming the scene. The case quickly became a focal point for protest groups and civil rights advocates.

Pretti was a nurse at a local veterans hospital and active in his union. His death is the second of a civilian by federal immigration agents in Minnesota within weeks. These incidents have deepened public concern about how federal agencies carry out immigration enforcement.

Union and Labor Response

Major labor groups joined public calls for change. The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States, described Pretti’s death as “senseless” and urged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave Minnesota to prevent further harm. The federation also demanded a transparent investigation into how the shooting took place.

Union leaders reiterated that their members and local communities feel unsafe and unfairly targeted by federal enforcement operations. They called on state and federal officials to find alternatives that protect workers and families.

Street Protests Continue

In Minneapolis, thousands of people took to the streets in cold weather to express frustration and demand justice. Demonstrators chanted for an end to federal immigration actions they see as heavy-handed and harmful to everyday residents.

Protests were not limited to Minneapolis. Solidarity marches and rallies took place in cities such as Chicago and San Francisco. Protesters highlighted concerns about immigrant safety and community rights.

Legal and Government Actions

A federal judge in Minnesota issued a temporary order requiring the Department of Homeland Security to preserve evidence related to the shooting. This order came after Minnesota state officials filed a lawsuit saying they were denied access to scenes and evidence.

The governor of Minnesota publicly criticized the federal presence and pushed for accountability and cooperation between federal and state authorities. Federal officials defended their enforcement operations as lawful, even as public trust has fallen.

Analysis: Why This Matters

The situation shows a growing divide between federal immigration policy and local communities. For many Minnesotans, recent years of aggressive enforcement have felt like an occupation rather than protective action. The death of a widely known community member has become a rallying point for broader debate about civil rights, safety, and government power.

Union involvement and protests in other states suggest the issue may shape political discussions far beyond Minnesota. How local, state, and federal leaders respond in the coming weeks could set important precedents for immigration enforcement and civil protest in the United States.

For more social commentary, please see Occupy 2.5 at https://Occupy25.com
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APA References

Guardian News Service. (2026, January 24). Minneapolis: 37-year-old U.S. citizen shot and killed by federal agents. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/24/minneapolis-shooting-federal-agents

New York Post. (2026, January 25). Judge orders DHS to preserve evidence in Alex Pretti shooting after suit by Minnesota. https://nypost.com/2026/01/25/us-news/trump-appointee-judge-orders-dhs-to-preserve-evidence-in-alex-pretti-shooting-after-suit-by-minnesota/

AFL-CIO. (2026, January 25). AFL-CIO mourns killing of Minneapolis union member Alex Jeffrey Pretti. https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-mourns-killing-minneapolis-union-member-reiterates-calls-ice-leave-minnesota

Bring Me The News. (2026, January 25). List of major ICE raids and protests in Minnesota. https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/list-of-major-ice-raids-updates-in-minnesota-on-sunday-jan-25

The Guardian. (2026, January 23). Minnesota protests and economic blackout target ICE operations. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/minnesota-economic-blackout-ice-protests

Wikipedia. (2026). Killing of Alex Pretti. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Alex_Pretti

Wikipedia. (2026). 2026 Minnesota general strike. Retrieved January 25, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Minnesota_general_strike

Feature Image on WPS News website AI Generated representation of ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota.