Protesters Demand Abolition of ICE After Alex Pretti Killing
Hundreds marched in Chicago's Loop after Border Patrol agents fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, organizers said.
Overview
Hundreds of protesters rallied in Chicago's Loop on Sunday calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after federal agents fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, organizers said.
Pretti's killing is the second fatal shooting of an observer by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in less than three weeks, following the Jan. 7 death of Renee Nicole Good, officials and local leaders said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said agents fired 'defensive shots' after an alleged armed approach, according to a DHS statement, while bystander videos and witnesses contradicted that account, organizers said.
DHS said it deployed about 2,000 federal officers to Minnesota and that more than 3,000 people were arrested over the last six weeks, while a top ICE official said roughly 3,000 agents had carried out about 3,400 arrests, a discrepancy local leaders criticized.
Organizers, including the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda, said they plan repeat boycotts and targeted actions at five Twin Cities Target stores and urged voters and senators to watch upcoming DHS funding votes, organizers said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story sympathetically toward protesters and critical of federal agents by foregrounding emotional scene‑setting, humanizing the deceased, and highlighting footage that contradicts DHS statements. Editorial choices emphasize calls to abolish ICE and prominent local leaders’ denunciations, while privileging protester voices and visual contradictions over federal accounts.
Sources (17)
FAQ
Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital and a U.S. citizen. He was protesting ICE, recording video, directing traffic, and trying to help a woman who was pushed down by a federal agent when the altercation occurred.
DHS claims Pretti approached agents armed with a 9mm handgun and ammunition, acting in self-defense after he attacked them. Videos and witnesses show he held a cellphone or camera, was helping a woman, did not resist aggressively, and an agent emerged with a gun before shooting.[1]
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against DHS, resulting in a judge granting a temporary restraining order on January 24, 2026, preventing DHS from destroying or altering evidence from the scene.
DHS deployed about 2,000 officers to Minnesota, arresting over 3,000 people in six weeks amid immigration enforcement. This is the second fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis in under three weeks, after Renee Nicole Good on January 7.[1]
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the DHS self-defense claim 'nonsense' after reviewing videos. AG Keith Ellison demanded a full, transparent investigation, criticizing federal blockage of local access to the scene.
History
9 sources