Minneapolis shooting: ICE agents involved in Alex Pretti's killing put on administrative leave amid outrage, says report

Federal immigration agents involved in the killing of 37‑year‑old US citizen Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday have been placed on administrative leave amid public outrage, MS NOW reported

His death came less than three weeks after Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was also killed on January 7 by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

The shooting has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers across the political spectrum in the United States and led to demonstrations in Minneapolis, adding to weeks of rising tension over aggressive actions by masked and heavily armed officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the US Border Patrol.

On Tuesday, Democratic ex-president Joe Biden said the incident “goes against our fundamental American values". Former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also commented on the situation.

Centrist Democratic Senator John Fetterman called Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem “grossly incompetent” and said she should be removed from her position. “The entire community is just horrified by all of this. It feels like the government’s goal is to intimidate citizens—it’s truly frightening," said 68-year-old Minneapolis retiree Stephen McLaughlin

The controversy could even lead to delays in US government funding, as Democrats have threatened to block routine spending bills scheduled for Senate votes later this week.

Video footage from the incident shows agents wrestling him to the ground and firing at him while he was down. Although Pretti did have a permit to carry a firearm, video captured during the encounter does not show him holding the weapon at any moment before he was shot, according to AFP.

Trump defended his embattled Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem, who had labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist", saying she was doing a “very good job” and would not resign.

However, he was more cautious in his remarks about Bovino, a Border Patrol official known for his aggressive, media-focused immigration operations, who had also emphasised the idea that Pretti was dangerous. Trump told Fox, “Bovino’s very capable, but he’s a bit extreme. Sometimes that works, but maybe it wasn’t the right approach here.”