Two federal officers discharged their weapons during an encounter that resulted in the death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend. This information was relayed to Congress by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official on Tuesday. Concurrently, Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs lodged an objection, stating that immigration agents had attempted to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis without authorization.
According to the notification obtained by The Associated Press, Pretti resisted arrest, which led to a physical altercation with officers. During this struggle, a Border Patrol agent reportedly shouted, "He's got a gun!" multiple times. Both a Border Patrol officer and a CBP officer fired Glock pistols during the encounter.
An investigation by CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility is ongoing, utilizing body-worn camera footage and other agency documentation, as required by law to notify appropriate congressional committees about deaths in CBP custody within a 72-hour timeframe.
In a separate event, a man was arrested after spraying an unknown liquid at U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar at a town hall meeting in Minneapolis. The incident occurred shortly after Omar called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and requested the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The situation escalated following Pretti's death, prompting President Donald Trump to instruct border czar Tom Homan to oversee the administration's immigration enforcement in Minnesota. This decision came on the heels of Pretti’s fatal confrontation with law enforcement, marking the second such deadly incident this month. Trump stated the move was an effort to "de-escalate" tensions, despite the White House's attempts to shift blame onto local Democratic leaders for the protests surrounding immigration raids.
In a later interview, Trump commented on the ongoing investigation into Pretti's death, indicating that a thorough inquiry was in progress. Initial responses from some administration officials suggested culpability on Pretti's part, with Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, labeling him an “assassin” and implying that CBP officers might not have followed proper procedures.
Additionally, the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister's protest involved a video shared on social media showing consulate staffers denying ICE agents entry, asserting that they were unauthorized. International law generally forbids law enforcement from entering foreign consulates without permission, except in life-threatening emergencies. The ministry stated that emergency protocols were activated to protect Ecuadorians present at the consulate.
Migration enforcement activities observed by journalists in the Minneapolis area appeared similar to recent weeks, with most encounters remaining non-confrontational. However, activists reported ongoing monitoring of these operations through social media channels. Following public outrage, the Trump administration appointed Homan to manage the immigration effort in Minnesota, transitioning control from Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who Trump noted as "a pretty out-there kind of a guy.
In a related legal context, a federal judge in Texas issued a temporary order prohibiting the removal of a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father, who were detained in Minnesota, highlighting growing divisions around immigration enforcement. U.S. Judge Fred Biery ruled that any attempts to transfer or deport the pair should be halted while their court case is considered.
Moreover, a judge in Minnesota expressed frustration with the Trump administration's management of immigration cases, going so far as to order the acting director of ICE to appear in court. The Chief Judge's extraordinary measure underscored the court’s dissatisfaction with ICE’s handling of procedural stipulations and the rising volume of legal challenges stemming from recent immigration actions.
This complex and evolving issue surrounding immigration enforcement, public safety, and international diplomatic relations continues to spark widespread debate and scrutiny from all sides of the political spectrum.
