Two United States federal agents involved in the fatal shooting of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti during a recent immigration raid have been placed on administrative leave, as public anger continues to mount over the controversial operation.
Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the two officers have been on leave since Saturday, following what a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) spokesperson described as “standard protocol.”
Pretti was shot multiple times after being forced to the ground by masked immigration officers, in a confrontation that was captured on video.
It remains unclear if the Department of Homeland Security has taken further action against other officers involved, including those seen in videos helping restrain Pretti moments before the fatal shots were fired.
Preliminary reports to Congress indicate that a US Border Patrol agent first fired at Pretti while he was on the ground, followed by a CBP officer.
Public outcry
The killing has drawn bipartisan condemnation, despite early attempts by officials from President Donald Trump’s administration to justify the shooting. Pretti’s death follows the January 7 killing of Minneapolis resident Renee Good, who was shot by an ICE officer, intensifying scrutiny of federal law enforcement tactics in the state.
In response, President Trump reshuffled leadership among immigration agents in Minneapolis, replacing the criticized Border Patrol official Greg Bovino with Tom Homan, a policy-focused immigration chief. Trump also warned Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey via his social media platform Truth Social that the mayor was “playing with fire” after Frey reaffirmed the city would not assist federal agents in enforcing immigration laws.
Mayor Frey responded, stating, “The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce [federal] immigration laws.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi, a senior member of the Trump administration, announced in Minneapolis the arrests of 16 individuals allegedly involved in rioting and assaulting federal officers.
