Gov. Walz calls on Trump to halt ICE operations in Minnesota after another fatal shooting

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday called on President Donald Trump to end sweeping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the state after a second fatal shooting this month by federal agents in Minneapolis.

“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning,” Walz wrote in a post on X. “Minnesota has had it. This is sickening. The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”

At a briefing Saturday afternoon, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said authorities had identified the victim as a 37-year-old white male and Minneapolis resident, adding that the man had no known criminal history beyond traffic citations. The man was later identified as ICU nurse Alex Pretti by his parents and the Associated Press.

“The only interaction that we are aware of with law enforcement has been for traffic tickets, and we believe he is a lawful gun owner with a permit,” O’Hara said, though he noted details surrounding the encounter remain under review.

O’Hara said his department has been in touch with the Department of Homeland Security, but that it has not provided specific details around the incident itself.

The latest shooting adds to a tense standoff between Minnesota authorities and federal immigration agents that has persisted for weeks. Earlier this month, an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, during an enforcement action, which triggered widespread protests and accelerated political backlash against the federal operation.

“At 9:05 AM CT, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement on X. “An individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, seen here.”

Federal agents attempted to disarm the suspect but the suspect violently resisted, DHS said: “More details on the armed struggle are forthcoming.”

About 200 protestors arrived at the scene, the department said, and “crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement.”

The DHS is planning to investigate the shooting, rather than the FBI, two sources told MS Now.

In response to a request from Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, Gov. Walz on Saturday afternoon agreed to activate the Minnesota National Guard to support first responders.

“The Minnesota National Guard’s role is to work in support of local law enforcement and emergency responders, providing additional resources. Their presence is meant to help create a secure environment where all Minnesotans can exercise their rights safely, including the right to peacefully protest,” according to the sheriff department’s statement.

Trump responded to the shooting in a Truth Social post, defending the federal operation and condemning criticism of his immigration enforcement surge.

“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go – What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?” he wrote. “The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do!”

Minneapolis officials urged the public to avoid the area and remain calm as local law enforcement and state patrol units arrived to separate protesters from the ICE personnel, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., joined the governor’s call for ICE to end its operations in Minnesota.

“The world is watching. Thousands of citizens stopped and harassed. Local police no longer able to do their work. Kids hiding. Schools closed. Get ICE out of Minnesota NOW,” she said in an X post.

— CNBC’s Terri Cullen contributed to this report.

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