At a Glance
- Two Customs and Border Protection officers fired shots that killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
- A CBP notice was sent to Congress, and President Donald Trump ordered Tom Homan to take over the Minnesota immigration crackdown.
- Ecuador’s foreign-affairs ministry protested an ICE attempt to enter its consulate in Minneapolis.
- A federal judge halted the removal of a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father.
Why it matters: The incident highlights tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local communities, prompting high-level government responses and international diplomatic protests.
—
The death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis has sparked a cascade of federal, state, and international reactions. Two Customs and Border Protection officers fired shots during an encounter that ended Pretti’s life, prompting a congressional notice, a presidential directive to reassign a senior immigration official, and a protest from Ecuador’s foreign-affairs ministry over a separate ICE incident.
Federal Officers’ Use of Force
A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official notified Congress that a Border Patrol agent and a CBP officer each fired a Glock pistol during an attempt to take Pretti into custody. The agent repeatedly shouted, “He’s got a gun!” as Pretti resisted. The notice, obtained by Ryan J. Thompson and News Of Fort Worth, did not clarify whether either bullet struck Pretti.
Investigators from CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility reviewed body-worn camera footage and agency documents. The law requires CBP to inform congressional committees about deaths in its custody within 72 hours.
> “We are investigating the cause,” said a CBP spokesperson.
President’s Response and Homan Deployment
The notification arrived a day after President Donald Trump ordered Tom Homan-the agency’s “border czar”-to take over the Minnesota immigration crackdown. Trump said the move would “de-escalate a little bit.”
During an interview on Fox News’ “Will Cain Show,” Trump added that Homan, “as tough as he is, gets along with governors and mayors, even in Democratic areas.”
When asked whether Pretti’s death was justified, Trump replied that a “big investigation” was underway. He also claimed to have had “great calls” with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump had not labeled Pretti a domestic terrorist and would let the investigation decide the facts.
> “We need to support our law-enforcement officers and get criminals off the streets,” Homan said on social media.
Ecuadorian Consulate Incident
Ecuador’s minister of foreign affairs filed a protest with the U.S. Embassy after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents tried to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis without permission. A video shows a consulate staffer confronting the agents, telling them, “This is the Ecuadorian consulate. You’re not allowed to enter.”
One ICE officer threatened to “grab” the staffer if he touched the agent before leaving. The ministry posted on X that consulate officials “immediately prevented the ICE officer from entering the consular building, thus ensuring the protection of the Ecuadorians who were present at the time and activating the emergency protocols issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility.”
> “Consulate officials immediately prevented the ICE officer from entering the consular building,” the ministry wrote.
The ministry filed a “note of protest” with the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador to prevent similar attempts at other consulates.
Legal and Judicial Developments
In Texas, U.S. Judge Fred Biery issued a temporary order prohibiting the removal of a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who had been detained in Minnesota. The order remains in effect while a court case proceeds.
On Tuesday, ICE released an Ecuadorian man-identified in court documents as “Juan T.R.”-whose detention had prompted Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to order ICE director Todd Lyons to appear in his courtroom. Schiltz expressed frustration with the administration’s handling of immigration cases and noted that the extraordinary step of ordering the agency head to appear personally was warranted.
> “This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result,” Schiltz wrote.
Schiltz’s order followed a federal court hearing on a request by the state and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul to halt the immigration enforcement surge.
State and Local Officials’ Reactions
Governor Tim Walz said he met with Homan and called for impartial investigations into the shootings involving federal officers. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara also met with Homan and described the conversation as “productive.”
> “We need to support our law-enforcement officers and get criminals off the streets,” Homan reiterated.
Officials in Minnesota are calling for ICE agents to be removed from the state after a second fatal shooting in Minneapolis.
—
Key Takeaways
- Two CBP officers fired shots that killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti; the incident prompted a congressional notice.
- President Donald Trump dispatched Tom Homan to lead the Minnesota immigration crackdown and stated a “big investigation” was underway.
- Ecuador’s foreign-affairs ministry protested an ICE attempt to enter its consulate in Minneapolis.
- A federal judge halted the removal of a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father.
- State and local officials have demanded impartial investigations and the removal of ICE agents from the state.
These events underscore the complex interplay between federal immigration enforcement, local governance, and international diplomatic norms.
