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After a Border Patrol officer fatally shot Minneapolis resident Alex Jeffrey Pretti during an immigration enforcement operation Saturday, Democratic governors outside the state jumped to echo Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s condemnation of the Trump administration.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News federal agents attempted to disarm Pretti, 37, who DHS officials say had a gun and allegedly “violently resisted,” prompting the shooting.
Officials said Pretti was armed with a 9 mm handgun with two magazines and no ID, and DHS noted, “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”
Court records show Pretti did not have a criminal history, and state officials said he held a lawful Permit to Carry (PTC).
Democrat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker fired back at the Trump administration on X, claiming “masked federal agents in Minnesota just shot and killed another person.”
“We must put a stop to Trump’s ICE. Now. Stop the funding, stop the occupations, stop the killings,” Pritzker wrote. “I am asking my fellow Republican and Democratic Governors across the nation to have a unified response. We must all stand against the lawlessness being inflicted in our states.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom took to social media accusing President Donald Trump of “ma[king] a shooting happen.”
“Yesterday, hundreds of thousands filled the streets of Minnesota — marching in subzero temperatures in a PEACEFUL protest,” Newsom wrote in an X post. “Not the excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act the President wanted. So today, Trump made a shooting happen. The President must end his violent occupation of Minnesota. NOW.”
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Kathy Hochul, the Democratic governor of New York, also weighed in on X.
“Another horrific outcome from a federal operation that has clearly spun out of control,” Hochul wrote. “Americans have had enough of lawless conduct masquerading as enforcement. President Trump is responsible for putting a stop to it.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he reached out to Walz after the shooting, claiming the recent shooting incidents are “not isolated incidents.”
“Again and again, we see that ICE lacks accountability and agents lack training for the operations they’re being sent on,” Moore wrote in an X post. “This reckless pattern of violence carried out by the Department of Homeland Security is endangering our communities. Not protecting them. This must stop.”
Maine Gov. Janet Mills added she requested a meeting with Trump to demand the administration withdraw ICE agents from Maine.
“I am appalled and heartbroken by reports of yet another killing at the hands of federal immigration agents. President Trump and Secretary Noem’s weaponization of Federal law enforcement against the people they are meant to serve is not only a grave violation of the Constitution, but a threat to the lives of law-abiding people in the cities and states they seek to occupy, including Maine,” Mills wrote in a statement.
“As Governor, I am requesting that the President of the United States meet with me so that I can demand in person that his Administration withdraw these untrained and reckless ICE agents in Maine and across the country who are stoking fear in communities, arresting legally present people, including law enforcement officials, and who pose a grave threat to public safety.”
Mills also called on Congress to immediately bring Noem before them for a public hearing and cut off any further funding for ICE.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Walz also touched on immigration officers’ training, calling the shooting “sickening.”
“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening,” Walz said. “The president must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
At a news conference later Saturday, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said the officer involved in the shooting was “highly trained” and had been serving as a Border Patrol agent eight years.
Bovino said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement officers were conducting an operation targeting Jose Huerta-Chuma, an illegal immigrant with a criminal history including domestic assault to intentional conflict bodily harm, disorderly conduct and driving without a valid license early Saturday morning.
Trump reacted to the incident in a Truth Social post.
“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go—What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves—Not an easy thing to do!” Trump wrote, attaching a photo of a gun DHS said it recovered from the shooting.
Trump then questioned why Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has “$34 Million Dollars in her account” and asked where “Tens of Billions of Dollars” of Minnesota’s money has gone, apparently referencing recent reports of massive fraud in the state.
“We are there because of massive Monetary Fraud, with Billions of Dollars missing, and Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy. We want the money back, and we want it back, NOW,” Trump added.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanded that the Trump administration remove immigration enforcement officials from the city.
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“I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death,” Frey said during a midday news conference. “How many more residents? How many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?
“How many more lives need to be lost before this administration realizes that a political and partisan narrative is not as important as American values? How many times must local and national leaders plead with you, Donald Trump, to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city?”
Frey said he was tired of local officials being told to turn down the temperature and that his community members are stirring up “vitriol” in the streets. He demanded that the administration “reflect” on the ongoing chaos in the city and ask whether it is achieving peace and safety.
“If the goal was to achieve peace and safety, this is doing exactly the opposite,” he said. “If the goal was to achieve calm and prosperity, this is doing exactly the opposite.
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“So to President Trump, this is a moment to act like a leader. Put Minneapolis put America first in this moment,” he continued. “Let’s achieve peace. Let’s end this operation. And I’m telling you, our city will come back. Safety will be restored. We’re asking for you to take action now to remove these federal agents.”
DHS is leading the investigation into the shooting, with assistance from the FBI.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Fox News’ Rachel Wolf, Paul Mauro, Bill Melugin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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