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

US federal agents have shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis during an intensified immigration enforcement operation, sparking fresh protests and criticism from state officials. The incident has fuelled calls for President Donald Trump to withdraw armed federal personnel from the city.

A Minneapolis resident has been shot and killed during a federal immigration enforcement operation, further escalating tensions between the Trump administration, Minnesota’s state government, and Democratic leaders nationwide.

The victim was identified by Democratic officials as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a Veterans Affairs nurse and Minneapolis resident. The shooting took place amid 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 at about 9:05 am CT, while officers were conducting what it described as a “targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault”.

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

“Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots,” DHS said. It added that medics at the scene provided medical assistance, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

DHS further claimed the individual was carrying two magazines and no identification, adding: “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” The department said the situation remained under investigation and that further details were expected.

The department also said that approximately 200 protesters arrived at the scene following the shooting, accusing some of obstructing and assaulting officers. “Crowd control measures were deployed for the safety of the public and law enforcement,” DHS said.

However, Democratic leaders strongly disputed the federal government’s account and condemned the shooting.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries described the incident as “a horrific, preventable tragedy”, accusing “lawless and masked thugs masquerading as law enforcement officers” of killing an American citizen “without justification”.

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

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

Omar argued the incident reflected a broader pattern, saying: “This isn’t isolated or accidental. The Trump administration is trying to beat us into submission rather than protect us.” She 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”, claiming that “yet another US citizen has been killed in cold blood by ICE and CBP in Minneapolis”.

Thompson accused DHS of attempting to shape public perception, alleging that “within minutes, DHS and its mass propaganda machine slandered and attacked the deceased individual with no 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 agents in a social media post, questioned the role of local police and accused Minnesota officials of misconduct. He said ICE agents were operating because of “massive monetary fraud, with billions of dollars missing”, adding: “LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!”

Reaction extended beyond Minnesota. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was informed of “yet another tragic shooting in Minneapolis at the hands of federal agents” and warned that “this violence has to stop”.

Bass said the president “must remove these armed, federal forces from Minneapolis and other American cities”, adding that she had joined mayors across the country in a federal court challenge against what she described as the administration’s “unconstitutional and unlawful deployment of federal agents in the Twin Cities”.

She criticised Operation Metro Surge as “unacceptable” and warned against allowing the federal government to “turn cities into war zones”.

The killing has intensified the national debate over the scope, tactics, and oversight of federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, particularly in Democratic-led states and cities. Minnesota has witnessed repeated protests in recent weeks as the expanded federal presence continues, with local officials and federal authorities offering sharply conflicting accounts of enforcement actions and public safety.

(With agencies' inputs)