Barack Obama, Michelle Obama call Alex Pretti killing wake-up call
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Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama said the killing of Alex Pretti was a national wake-up call, arguing that federal immigration agents in Minnesota used tactics that frightened and endangered residents while operating without adequate accountability.
In a joint statement on Sunday, the Obamas attributed Pretti’s death to weeks of increased federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota; this practice led to protests, arguments and clashes between local residents and agents. He said the broader response to Obama’s shooting showed how the tactics used widened divisions and increased tensions across the country.
Federal authorities said Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and Veterans Affairs Intensive Care Unit nurse, was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent during an early morning immigration enforcement operation targeting Jose Huerta-Chuma, an illegal immigrant with a criminal history.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said Pretti approached agents with a 9mm handgun and “violently resisted” when officers tried to disarm him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and state officials said he had a valid permit to carry a firearm.
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Former President Barack Obama attends a “get out the vote” rally at the Essex County College gymnasium in Newark, NJ, on November 1. (Kyle Mazza/Anatolia via Getty Images)
Framing the shooting as a broader warning, the Obamas urged Americans to consider what they described as the broader consequences of the incident and its aftermath.
“The murder of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under attack,” the Obamas said. he said. “Federal law enforcement and immigration officials have a tough job. But Americans expect them to perform their duties lawfully, accountable, and to work with, not against, state and local officials to ensure public safety.”
The Obamas argued that this was not what they witnessed in Minnesota and that they saw the opposite.
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A screenshot from a video shows a law enforcement officer spraying irritants at Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026. (Reuters)
“For weeks, people across the country have been rightfully outraged that masked ICE officers and other federal agents have acted with impunity and engaged in tactics that appear designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger residents of a major American city,” they said. “These unprecedented tactics, which even the former top attorney for the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration called disgraceful, unlawful and cruel, have now resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.”
The statement went on to accuse the Trump administration and DHS officials of failing to impose “some form of discipline and accountability” on agents deployed to Minnesota and instead appearing “willing to escalate the situation.”
The Obamas also took aim at the Trump administration’s public statements regarding the deaths of both Pretti and Renee Good (the latter of whom was shot and killed by an ICE agent during federal enforcement in Minneapolis on January 7); This suggested that authorities reached their conclusions without a thorough investigation and without fully reviewing all the evidence.
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Federal agents fire tear gas at protesters in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026. Earlier the same day, agents allegedly shot and killed a protester during a scuffle to arrest him. (Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“This has to stop,” the Obamas said. “I hope that after this latest tragedy, administration officials will reconsider their approach and begin to find ways to work constructively with the Governor. [Tim] Walz and the Mayor [Jacob] Frey and state and local police need to prevent further chaos and achieve law enforcement goals.”
They also encouraged Americans to support protests in Minneapolis and across the country.
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“In the meantime, every American should support and be inspired by the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country,” the statement said. The statement was included. “These are a timely reminder that it is ultimately up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our fundamental freedoms, and hold our government accountable.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Obamas for further comment.
