Unraveling the truth behind the shooting death of Alex Preti in Minneapolis
Videos taken by witnesses did not show Alex Preti holding a gun before he was shot and killed by federal agents.
Americans’ approval ratings for President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have fallen to their lowest level since he returned to the White House, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows, amid a growing backlash following the fatal shooting of two people by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis this month.
The poll was conducted across the country from January 23rd to January 25th and collected responses before and after an immigration officer killed a second American in Minneapolis on January 24th, during clashes with protesters over President Trump’s deployment of immigration agents to cities across the country. Fifty-three percent of Americans surveyed disapprove of the president’s immigration policies, while 39% support President Trump’s immigration policies, down from 41% in the previous Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted this month.
The poll collected responses from 1,139 American adults and had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.
Immigration has been a bright spot for Trump’s popularity in the weeks since his inauguration in January. In February 2025, 50% approved and 41% disapproved.
Trump won the 2024 presidential election by promising a historic surge in deportations. Masked immigration agents, often wearing military-style tactical gear, became a common sight across the country, and protests against the crackdown erupted in several cities, including Minneapolis, where immigration agents responded with deadly force.
On January 24, ICU nurse Alex Preti was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent in South Minneapolis. Trump administration officials have accused Preti, 37, a U.S. citizen, of assaulting a police officer during a protest in Minneapolis, but that account appears to be contradicted by video recorded by a bystander.
Earlier this month, fellow American citizen Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed by federal agents during an immigration raid in South Minneapolis on January 7th. Early on January 26, President Trump announced that he would send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to lead operations on the ground.
President Trump’s overall approval rating also falls
President Trump’s overall approval rating also fell to 38%, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, down from 41% in the previous Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from January 12 to January 13, and tied for the lowest level of his current term.
The survey also found that about 58% of Americans surveyed said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforcement is “excessive,” while 12% said ICE enforcement is not enough, and 26% said the agency’s efforts are “about adequate.” Nine out of 10 Democrats said operatives were overreaching, compared to 2 out of 10 Republicans and 6 out of 10 independents.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said on January 26 that President Trump would consider reducing the number of immigration agents in Minnesota and would allow state investigators to independently investigate the shooting of Preti by Border Patrol agents. Walz’s office said in a statement that Walz had a “productive” call with the president, about an hour after Trump himself said the two were “on the same wavelength.”
Republican lawmakers are increasingly calling for an investigation into Preti’s killing as Democrats refuse to defund the Department of Homeland Security despite a potential government shutdown.
President Trump announced Monday that he would send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to lead operations on the ground. Thousands of demonstrators braved freezing temperatures in Minneapolis to condemn the shooting and demand an end to federal intervention.
Contributors: Christopher Cann, James Powel, Trevor Hughes, Joey Garrison, Erin Mansfield, Michael Loria, Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY; Reuters
