Lawmakers Demand Investigations After Border Agent Kills Alex Pretti
Senators and representatives called for probes after the Jan. 25 fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, 37, amid Operation Metro Surge deploying about 3,000 agents.
Overview
Sen. Susan Collins and multiple House and Senate lawmakers called for a transparent, independent investigation into the Jan. 25 fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, 37, by a Border Patrol agent, according to their statements and social posts, and questioned initial agency accounts.
Operation Metro Surge has deployed about 3,000 agents and has been linked to two fatal shootings, records show, a dynamic congressional aides said could imperil a six-bill funding package that covers more than 70% of federal operations.
The White House sent border czar Tom Homan to oversee Minnesota operations on Jan. 26, and DHS, the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have opened reviews, officials said, amid bystander videos and witness statements that dispute initial agency assertions.
Rep. Andrew Garbarino scheduled a House Homeland Security hearing for Feb. 10 and requested testimony from acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, while Sen. Rand Paul and other committee chairs demanded briefings, committee announcements show.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans must decide whether to separate Homeland Security funding from the six-bill package before the funding deadline of 11:59 p.m. on Friday, and Sen. Collins warned that oversight could be tied to DHS funding, aides said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a rare GOP rupture and institutional failure, emphasizing video contradictions with DHS claims, prioritizing Republican dissent and victim-centered details. They use charged descriptors (e.g., "violent presence," "shocking"), foreground silence from leaders, and highlight international backlash—choices that collectively cast the administration and ICE as accountable and embattled.
Sources (55)
FAQ
On January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot multiple times by Border Patrol agents while observing their operation near a donut shop, directing traffic, and holding his phone; video evidence shows he did not brandish a gun, despite DHS claims he approached armed and resisted.
DHS claimed Pretti approached agents with a handgun, resisted disarming, and prompted defensive shots, but bystander videos, witness testimonies, and BBC frame-by-frame analysis show Pretti holding only his phone, with no gun brandished; the target immigrant lacked the claimed criminal history.
Operation Metro Surge deployed about 3,000 agents to Minnesota, linked to two fatal shootings including Pretti's amid immigration enforcement; it prompted White House oversight by Tom Homan and has raised concerns imperiling DHS funding.
Senators like Susan Collins and Rand Paul, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, and others demanded independent probes, briefings, and a Feb. 10 hearing; DHS, FBI, and CBP opened reviews, excluding state/local officials in an unprecedented move, amid disputes over funding packages.
Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old VA ICU nurse with a clean record and legal firearm permit; a week earlier, he suffered a broken rib after intervening in an ICE chase, tackled by five agents who released him.
History
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