Asian American officials demand accountability after latest Minnesota shooting

Asian American lawmakers are demanding accountability after federal immigration officers fatally shot Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who served veterans, in Minneapolis over the weekend.

State of play: Pretti, 37, was killed Saturday during a confrontation with federal agents as he protested the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in Minnesota. According to a preliminary Homeland Security report, two Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers opened fire after a colleague yelled about a gun as agents pinned Pretti to the ground on a snowy street. Bystander videos, however, reveal officers had already taken Pretti’s legal handgun, which he was licensed to carry concealed, from his waistband before shots were fired.

The shooting marks the second fatality involving federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis this month, with an ICE agent killing Renee Good, a mother of three, on Jan. 7. Reports say Pretti had a previous encounter with federal agents, where he suffered a broken rib after being tackled at a separate demonstration. Since then, authorities had reportedly been tracking his protest activities through an intelligence form called “intel collection non-arrests.”

What they’re saying: Multiple Asian American officials have spoken out in response to Pretti’s killing. For one, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced legislation requiring independent investigations into the use of force by federal immigration agents. “Americans across the country have been watching in horror as ICE and Border Patrol agents have terrorized communities, targeted kids and daycare teachers, assaulted peaceful protestors and even publicly executed two U.S. citizens in broad daylight — and then lied about what happened to try and cover their asses,” she said in a statement.

In an X post, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who attended a vigil for Pretti, said ICE “has become a rogue, militarized police in our communities” and urged to “tear it down and build a new agency.” Meanwhile, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) criticized the leadership of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, calling for her resignation, “an immediate stand down of ICE and CBP interior operations” and “accountability now.”

Others such as Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) announced their opposition to DHS funding, raising the possibility of a partial government shutdown this Friday when current appropriations expire. “I’m not voting to fund this lawless violence. Trump’s abuse of power is tearing us apart,” he said. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) wrote, “What is happening in Minnesota has to stop. Another person shot, another set of lies from DHS instead of a real investigation. Senate: DO NOT FUND ICE AND CBP. Trump and his cult party are stealing our democracy — right in front of our eyes — violating our rights and killing people in our streets.”

The big picture: The latest killing has again exposed deep tensions over immigration enforcement tactics. And again, this is particularly significant for Asian American communities navigating both the immigration system and concerns about civil liberties. Administration officials immediately characterized Pretti as a threat, with some claiming he planned to “massacre” officers. Meanwhile, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller called him an “assassin.”

The resulting backlash has fractured typical partisan lines, with Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina also calling for Noem to step down.