Minneapolis Community Mobilizes Following Fatal Border Patrol Shooting
MINNEAPOLIS ― The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse who worked for Veterans Affairs, by Border Patrol agents early Saturday morning sparked immediate and widespread mobilization across Minneapolis. Eyewitnesses captured video footage of the incident, sharing it extensively on social media platforms and through private Signal chats. These encrypted communication channels have become vital tools for residents seeking to protect each other from federal immigration agents who have been operating in the city since their deployment during the Trump administration in December.
Rapid Community Response and Tense Standoff
Within an hour of the shooting, dozens of residents arrived at the scene. Their numbers quickly swelled into the hundreds as people poured in to confront heavily armed federal officers. The agents stood stoically with their weapons drawn and faces completely covered, while residents positioned themselves just feet away, holding cardboard signs and wearing handmade woven hats. They came to express their grief, voice their anger, or simply because they felt the community needed their support.
"I just geared up," said Miguel, a participant who was prepared to stay as long as necessary. "I don't know what I came to do, but I just needed to be present."
Disconnect Between Official Mission and Community Experience
Officially, federal immigration enforcement agents are in Minneapolis to detain violent criminals who are in the country illegally. However, residents describe a starkly different reality. They report that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol officers are indiscriminately targeting Black and brown individuals on the streets, regardless of their criminal records.
This pattern was exemplified last week when 5-year-old Liam Ramos was apprehended in front of his home alongside his father and transported to a Texas detention center. Community members assert that federal agents are routinely terrorizing neighborhoods with immigrant populations and have now escalated to killing citizens like Pretti and Renee Good, another 37-year-old mother.
"Not again! Not fucking again!" one resident screamed at agents guarding the scene where Pretti was fatally shot.
Escalating Confrontation and Use of Force
As the crowd grew, federal agents established a perimeter behind police tape. Miguel found himself standing toe-to-toe with officers, separated only by a flimsy stretch of yellow tape that marked the boundary not to cross. He joined a diverse crowd of men and women of various races and ages in chanting "Shame! Shame! Shame!"
Despite protesters remaining behind the tape line, agents responded with tear gas and pellet guns. "They just didn't take kindly to the insults being thrown at them, so they started just knocking tear canisters at us," Miguel reported, his eyes runny and bloodshot from the chemical irritants. "I think what really set them off is eventually someone kicked a slab of ice in their direction and they didn't like that, so they started shooting pellet guns at us."
Jacob, another resident, witnessed someone throw a snowball at an ICE agent, which prompted officers to cross their own established line and charge the crowd. "They started firing tear gas," he said, with flash bangs exploding behind him as he spoke.
Tony had only been present for ten minutes before being tear-gassed. Having walked over from just half a block away, he described agents crossing their tape line to "charge all of us" and tackle an individual who had been verbally confronting the officers.
"They threw a fuck ton of gas," Tony said, splashing water on his face while observing the massive plume of smoke rising down the street. "They're shooting our neighbors, dude!"
Prolonged Protest in Extreme Conditions
The confrontation continued for hours in subzero temperatures, with more residents arriving equipped with ski goggles, gas masks, and homemade signs bearing anti-ICE messages. Most protesters maintained their position down the street, shouting chants like "Fuck ICE!" and "Fucking Nazis!" Some individuals ventured closer to the federal agents to yell at them, only to retreat as officers deployed additional tear gas and set off flash bangs.
Community support was evident as volunteers arrived with cases of bottled water, distributing them to help people flush irritated eyes or recover after vomiting from the chemical exposure. At one point, a tear gas canister that eyewitnesses claim was thrown by a federal agent exploded near a parked car, shattering windows and igniting a fire. The combination of dense smoke and continuous loud explosions created an atmosphere reminiscent of a war movie scene.
Non-Violent Resistance and Community Solidarity
Despite the tense environment, protesters largely avoided instigating violence. Many individuals filmed the standoff from a distance, introduced themselves to fellow community members, and discussed the surreal nature of the situation. One woman offered free hugs to willing recipients, while a group of men dragged trash bins and even a couch into the middle of the street to create a makeshift barricade as federal agents attempted to push people out of the area.
This demonstration represented a profound show of unity and determination, coming just one day after 50,000 residents marched downtown to demand that ICE leave their state entirely.
Underlying Fear and Community Impact
Despite their visible solidarity, many community members remain gripped by fear of federal agents. Most individuals interviewed declined to provide their full names, and some refused to speak altogether. Several residents who live on the affected block expressed discomfort discussing the events at length.
One man had just moved to the street on Friday and was stunned to find his apartment building cordoned off by police tape the following day. Another resident reported waking to the sound of at least ten gunshots fired at Pretti. A Black woman who moved to the neighborhood three months ago with her two children from the suburbs explained that she chose the area because it was more affordable than living outside the city.
"This shit is too much," she confessed. "I want to go back to the suburbs." Her statement reflects the growing anxiety about safety that now permeates a community grappling with increased federal presence and lethal force.
