Hennepin County coroner rules murder of Alex Preti
A coroner has ruled Alex Preti’s death a homicide after the Minneapolis ICU nurse was shot and killed by federal agents during an encounter.
It was a cold morning in January when Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Preti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and registered nurse working at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis.
The moment will soon reverberate across the country, escalating violent protests against President Donald Trump’s broader immigration campaign.
But eight miles across town, Core Power Yoga’s studio in northeast Minneapolis was quiet. The instructor there had just finished a power yoga class when he heard the news.
“I was teaching students in savasana when I learned that someone had been murdered on the street,” said the teacher, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution at work. Preti’s death comes less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, 37, inside her car.
The studio teachers were already frustrated. A few weeks ago, they grew increasingly impatient as they sought guidance from corporate executives around the world on how to deal with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), fearing for the safety of their immigration instructors and customers.
Core Power Yoga, the country’s largest yoga studio brand, has found itself at the center of online conversation after a video of studio members confronting staff about the situation went viral. At least two instructors have already quit, and several others told USA TODAY they are considering resigning. This video has been viewed approximately 500,000 times.
Core Power Yoga said it has since approved the installation of signage throughout the studio stating, “Law enforcement and ICE are not permitted entry without a valid judicial warrant.” And on January 31, the company hosted more than 1,800 free classes across the country where participants had the option to donate to the Immigration Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM).
“The company has communicated multiple times that it does not tolerate violent ICE raids and joins multiple other companies in their calls for de-escalation. The company does not support ICE in any way,” a CorePower Yoga spokesperson told USA TODAY.
Still, the viral moment and its aftermath has sparked a conversation about the role of activism in the wellness space.
“Minneapolis, I feel like almost everyone here, regardless of political affiliation, is on the same page. We’re on the ground, we’re seeing it happen,” says Sam Myers, who canceled his membership at Core Power Yoga over the company’s handling of the issue. “We cannot deny the hurt and harm that is happening in our city.”
How CorePower Yoga sparked a conversation about ICE and wellness
As protests spread across Minneapolis, Core Power students began texting their instructors asking, “Are classes still in session?” Did you arrive safely? Is there a possibility that immigration authorities will enter the yoga studio?
Uncertainty weighed heavily on immigrant instructors. One Minneapolis studio manager is legally in the U.S. with a green card, but after consulting with an immigration attorney, he decided to quarantine at home.
“The weight of it, I’ve never experienced anything like it,” says the lecturer, who requested anonymity at the recommendation of an immigration lawyer. “I’ve never been scared…and all of a sudden I had to completely isolate because the neighborhood that had always been safe wasn’t safe anymore.”
District managers told staff in an email in mid-January that the company could help find compensation for instructors who were afraid to come to work. However, green card holders said these solutions are not practical. Taking a vacation means relying on it to maintain your income. Staff have also been instructed to remove signs posted with legal guidance from the Immigration Legal Resource Center until CorePower Yoga distributes corporate language.
The immigrant instructor resigned days later, writing in a resignation letter that Core Power Yoga’s “refusal to understand the seriousness of this situation” had put students and employees at risk and placed the studio’s staff “with the burden of protecting the community.”
News of her resignation worried some in the studio’s community. Tensions escalated further on Feb. 1 when another instructor announced at the end of the class that he too was quitting over concerns about the company’s response to ICE’s move into the city.
After the class, more than a dozen customers gathered in the lobby to demand answers from the studio manager and regional director about the removal of anti-ICE signage and the lack of protocols. The tension was palpable in a video recorded by participant Heather Anderson that later went viral.
“The silence is deafening,” a voice can be heard saying as the room fills with clicks after the blow, which staff members struggle to respond to.
Some students were silent and listening. Others didn’t know the incident happened. But on February 3, all students on the class roster with membership were notified by email of their 90-day suspension, regardless of whether they participated in the conversation. Anderson’s membership was permanently revoked.
“You were in our Northeast Minneapolis studio while two of our employees were actively confronting you with abusive language and profanity,” the email to the student said. “While you may not have started the conflict, you were present and failed to take steps to de-escalate or extricate yourself from the situation that created the threatening environment.”
A spokesperson for CorePower Yoga told USA TODAY that “this is not the appropriate language” to use in response, and clarified that “we do not expect students to be responsible for de-escalating conflicts.” More than half of the 40 students subsequently reinstated their membership through one-on-one conversations.
Can an ICE enter a fitness studio?
To be clear, there are no confirmed reports of ICE entering gyms or fitness studios. The outpouring of backlash stemmed from concerns among students and employees amid increased ICE activity.
Former federal prosecutor Kenneth P. White said those concerns are not unfounded, but they violate procedures established by ICE.
Legally, ICE can only enter private property with a judicial warrant. But federal agents have made arrests in quasi-public spaces at private businesses, such as Target parking lots.
White told USA TODAY it’s possible ICE could move into fitness studios.
“If you’re going to ban ICE, there’s a valid argument from companies that ICE shouldn’t be able to enter without a warrant. But White says there’s a disconnect between what ICE is legally allowed to do and how ICE has operated in the past.”
Businesses have the right to post signs stating that ICE is not allowed to enter without a warrant, and ignoring those signs can technically violate a business’ rights, White said. A more complex legal question is whether such trespassing would be considered a violation of the company’s rights or the rights of its customers in the space, he added. That means someone arrested at a fitness studio may not have legal standing to object to their access.
Should fitness studios take a firm stand?
CorePower Yoga isn’t alone in getting through this. Crunch Fitness faced backlash after an internal memo providing front desk employees with guidance on how to deal with ICE was leaked on Reddit.
“Our policy is to cooperate with any law enforcement officers,” the memo advises, going on to explain in a section on “What to Expect During a Raid” that raids “may last several hours.”
The franchise shared an Instagram post mentioning the memo, in which the company said the memo was intended to provide guidance “in the event of an unexpected law enforcement visit” and clarified that the intent was “preparedness and safety, not partnership or participation.”
Fitness coaches and influencers alike are calling on companies like SolidCore, Orange Theory, and SoulCycle to address the situation. Joe Nicatoro, a Chicago-based Bally instructor, revealed on his Instagram Reel on Jan. 29 that he has had students cancel classes over concerns about ICE.
“I’m not going to teach until there’s a sign on the door saying ICE is closed or there’s some kind of pro-immigrant broadcast,” Nicatoro said on Reel.
Clients USA TODAY spoke to cited ahimsa, or the harmless practice of yoga, and said yoga is “inherently political.” But others online say CorePower Yoga’s mission was never to serve as a platform for political advocacy, and that sometimes “a mat is just a mat.”
Kyle Willman, an instructor at St. Paul-based Core Power Yoga, said the “collective anger” seen in the viral video is reminiscent of what the Twin Cities saw during protests over the death of George Floyd in 2020.
“It’s heartbreaking for both parties,” Willman said. “I was disappointed that the students who were making such a fuss came out in that situation, and I also felt bad for the women behind the desks, and I thought it was unfair.”
But ultimately, Willman said, the virus-induced uprising is “creating division among people with similar views.”
He wants everyone to remember that the purpose of yoga is to bring people together.
Rachel Hale’s role covering youth mental health for USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Contact X at rhale@usatoday.com and @rachelleighhale.
