A day after a second protester was shot and killed, Minneapolis residents are growing angry at federal immigration officials.
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.
MINNEAPOLIS – Subzero temperatures did little to dampen the anger and resentment that rose across Minneapolis the day after federal immigration agents shot and killed protester Alex Preti, an ICU nurse.
About 3,000 federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol were deployed throughout the city as part of a surge in detentions ordered by President Donald Trump.
In the face of growing hostility, tens of thousands of residents were furious about how the Trump administration was enforcing these detentions.
“We’re angry. We’re scared. And we’re very sad about what happened. It’s really scary to think about what’s going on and what’s going to happen next,” said Leah Thompson, 31, a new mom from Minneapolis.
at the shooting scene
Preti, 37, was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a protest on January 24. The video appears to show Preeti holding a mobile phone and trying to help another protester who was taken to the ground and shot.
He was legally in possession of a handgun. Federal officials say it may have been used to attack employees.
Hundreds of mourners gathered on Nicollet Street, where Preti was shot the day before, many holding signs demanding that federal authorities leave. Among them was Ms. Thompson, a stay-at-home mom who felt compelled to pay her respects with friends.
Restaurants across the city have been posted with flyers prohibiting ICE agents from entering without a judicial warrant. Dozens more residents stood atop the overpass in single-digit temperatures, waving signs calling for federal authorities to leave.
Demonstrators also directed their anger at President Trump himself, arguing that his administration is unfairly sweeping up law-abiding immigrants instead of focusing on convicted criminals.
Preti became the second Minneapolis resident killed by federal agents this month. On January 7, ICE agents shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in a city suburb. Good was unarmed and behind the wheel of her car, and the agents opened fire as she tried to start the car. White House officials accused her of “weaponizing” her car.
President Trump called the protesters “crooks and insurrectionists” in a social media post.
“Door to door in ethnic areas” rather than targeted arrests
Lai Soh, 36, of Minneapolis, said she doesn’t disagree with federal authorities removing dangerous criminals, but that’s not how ICE and Border Patrol agents operate.
“They claim to have a targeted approach, but they are just going door to door in ethnic areas,” So said. “That’s out of scope.”
Saw also said he was shocked at how reckless federal agents seem when it comes to false arrests and shootings. As a medical professional, she said even the smallest misidentification can lead to serious consequences.
“We would feel better if they had some accountability,” she said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has vowed to seek a state-level investigation into Preti’s death and has repeatedly called on federal immigration authorities to leave the state. Mr. Walz and Mr. Trump have clashed repeatedly in recent years. Walz was Trump’s Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2024, when he was seeking re-election.
“Minnesota believes in law and order. We believe in peace,” Walz said in a statement. “And we believe we need to remove 3,000 untrained agents from Minnesota before President Trump kills another American on our streets.”
“Trust isn’t there.”
At the downtown Civic Center, Donna Jones, 52, held a sign asking ICE to leave Minneapolis. Jones works in the remodeling industry and said he has seen legally authorized workers being detained or taken to another state before being released. Friends who own restaurants have workers who are afraid to leave their homes even if they are authorized to work in the U.S., she said, adding that she and her daughter, Ira, 22, were inspired to protest after seeing what federal authorities described as inaccurate accounts of recent shootings. “They’re saying a lot of things, but I feel like I can tell when I see them that they’re lying. They’re blatantly lying to our faces,” Jones said. “The trust is not there.” More than 100 people participated in the Jan. 25 protest at the Civic Center, some of whom regularly marched around the block. Ira Jones held up a placard referencing the Nuremberg trials, the major Nazi prosecutions after World War II. “That’s where the Nazis were held responsible,” she said. “We’ve set a precedent that just following orders doesn’t protect you.” Still, the two women said they were encouraged by seeing so many people from Minneapolis take to the streets. “We’re all in this together,” said Donna Jones, who said some of her Republican acquaintances have suggested disparagingly that people who are protesting are not motivated by love for their neighbors, but are being compensated in some way.
