Following a weekend marked by protests, memorials, and tributes over the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a federal immigration agent, questions are mounting about how the incident could alter immigration enforcement in Minnesota — and potentially across the country.
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On Monday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is expected to appear in court to push for an end to the current federal immigration operation in the state. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has also called for the immediate halt of the crackdown.
"So my question is what's the plan Donald Trump?" Walz said Sunday, a day after the shooting. "What is the plan? What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state?"
President Trump appeared to outline his expectations on his Truth Social platform, including that any incarcerated individual in Minnesota who is in the U.S. illegally be turned over to federal authorities. He also called for greater cooperation between local police and immigration enforcement agents.
In a Sunday interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said his administration was “reviewing everything” related to the shooting — which was recorded by multiple bystanders and appears to contradict initial federal accounts. He also suggested the possibility of pulling federal agents out of Minnesota.
"At some point we will leave," he said. "We've done, they've done a phenomenal job."
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The political fallout from Pretti’s death is expected to ripple through Washington this week. Democrats are threatening to withdraw support for a previously negotiated deal funding the Department of Homeland Security and roughly 75% of the federal government. Current government funding runs out later this week, raising the prospect of a partial shutdown.
