US Federal agents kill Minneapolis man amid immigration raids, protests intensify | World News

The shooting death of a Minneapolis resident during a federal immigration enforcement operation has further increased tensions between the Trump administration, the Minnesota state government and Democratic leaders across the country.

The victim was identified by Democratic officials as Veterans Affairs nurse and Minneapolis resident Alex Jeffrey Pretti. The attack occurred during ongoing federal immigration operations in Minnesota involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the incident occurred around 9:05 a.m. CT and that officers were conducting what it described as a “targeted operation against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault in Minneapolis.”

According to DHS, “an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.” Officers attempted to disarm him but “the armed suspect violently resisted,” the department said.

“An agent, fearing for his own life and the life and safety of other officers, opened fire in a defensive manner,” DHS said. It was determined that the medical teams arriving at the scene provided first aid, but the person died at the scene.

DHS also claimed the individual was carrying two magazines and had no identification, adding: “This sounds like a situation where an individual wanted to inflict maximum harm and decimate law enforcement.” The situation is under investigation and further details are awaited, the department said.

The ministry also said that about 200 protesters arrived at the scene following the attack, and some were accused of interfering with and assaulting police officers. “Crowd control measures were implemented for the safety of the public and law enforcement,” DHS said.

But Democratic leaders strongly opposed the federal government’s statement and condemned the attack.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the incident a “horrible, preventable tragedy” and accused “vigilante, masked thugs posing as law enforcement officers” of “unjustly” killing an American citizen.

“The American people deserve a thorough and independent investigation without interference or obstruction by DHS,” Jeffries said, adding that “each and every federal agent responsible for the unjust killing of another civilian must be held criminally accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar said the killing followed reports that immigration officials were involved. “This appears to be an execution by immigration enforcement,” he said. “I am absolutely heartbroken, appalled and dismayed that federal agents killed another member of our community.”

Arguing that the incident reflected a broader pattern, Omar said: “This is not an isolated or coincidental incident. The Trump administration is trying to surrender rather than protect us.” He accused ICE and CBP of “violating constitutional rights under the guise of immigration enforcement.”

House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson said the killing “should shock all Americans” and claimed that “another US citizen has been murdered in cold blood by ICE and CBP in Minneapolis.”

Thompson accused DHS of trying to shape public perception, claiming that “in a matter of minutes, DHS and its mass propaganda machine slandered and attacked the deceased without any evidence.” He called for ICE and CBP to leave Minneapolis immediately and demanded the release of body camera footage.

President Donald Trump defended federal immigration officials, questioned the role of local police and accused Minnesota officials of misconduct in a social media post. He said ICE agents were operating because of “massive monetary fraud in which billions of dollars have gone missing,” adding: “LET OUR ICE CITIZENS DO THEIR WORK!”

The backlash extended beyond Minnesota. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she had been briefed on “yet another tragic shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis” and warned that “this violence must stop.”

Bass said the president “must remove these armed federal forces from Minneapolis and other American cities,” adding that the administration is joining mayors across the country in a lawsuit filed in federal court against what he described as the “unconstitutional and illegal deployment of federal agents in the Twin Cities.”

He criticized Operation Metro Surge as “unacceptable” and warned that the federal government should not be allowed to “turn cities into war zones.”

The killing intensified the national debate over the scope, tactics and oversight of federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, especially in Democratic-led states and cities. Minnesota has seen repeated protests in recent weeks as local and federal officials offer starkly conflicting accounts of enforcement actions and public safety as the federal presence continues to expand.

(With input from agencies)