Wave Wire Services
LOS ANGELES — Southern California leaders once again assailed the Trump administration after the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis Jan. 24, the second fatal shooting in that city this month involving U.S. immigration officers.
“This morning we learned of yet another tragic shooting in Minneapolis at the hands of federal agents,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “This violence has to stop and the president must remove these armed, federal forces from Minneapolis and other American cities.
A man identified as Alex Pretti. 37, who worked as an intensive care nurse at a veterans hospital in Minneapolis was on the scene of ongoing daily protests in Minneapolis following the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good on Jan 7.
“I have joined mayors from across the country in a federal court action to stop the Trump administration’s unconstitutional and unlawful deployment of federal agents in the Twin Cities,” Bass continued. “Our amicus brief supports Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul’s lawsuit to immediately end this militarized presence in their communities.
“We must not allow fear and force to define our cities, or for the federal government to turn them into war zones. Operation Metro Surge, the federal government’s militarized crackdown that has claimed innocent lives and terrorized countless families, is unacceptable.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted remarks on X calling for no new funding for ICE and calling on Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem to resign and Greg Bovino to be fired.
A peaceful demonstration was held at 4 p.m. at Mariachi Plaza off of Olvera Street, with an estimated 500 in attendance, and protesters marched to the Federal Building to join other demonstrators there at 6 p.m.
Assemblyman Mark Gonzalez, D-Los Angeles and currently the Assembly’s majority whip, was even more blunt than Bass.
In a statement full of profanities Gonzalez said “ICE has no shame. ICE silences protest with bullets. ICE only speaks the language of fear. ICE publicly executed Renee Good. ICE forcibly took a 5-year-old from their family. ICE murdered a peaceful protester in broad daylight.
“Where there should be protection, there is only the echo of gunfire. Where there should be justice, there is only another name taken too soon. Shame on ICE,” he wrote.
Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was shot and killed after authorities wrestled him to the ground. U.S. officials said he was armed with a loaded gun while approaching federal law enforcement personnel. The weapon, which Pretti had a license to carry, never left his holster.
In a statement released on social media, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security “the officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. … Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but he was pronounced dead at the scene.”
U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Whittier, released the following statement: “The killing of U.S. citizens in our streets falls squarely at Trump’s feet. He is the one who unleashed federal agents to terrorize previously peaceful communities. Agents without training, accountability or respect for human life are not law enforcement — they have become hired assassins.
“The majority of House Democrats voted this week to block ICE’s funding and rein in the chaos. The Senate must immediately join us to end the escalation of violence. There must also be a completely independent and fully transparent investigation into these aggressive tactics, and anyone who broke the law must be held accountable.”
State Sen. Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, echoed those comments.
“After yet another senseless shooting by immigration enforcement officers, Americans are beyond sick and tired of the Trump administration’s lawless overreach,” Umberg said. “Here in Orange County, we are seeing increased and aggressive ICE activity that is having a harmful, lasting impact on our families, businesses and communities.
“This kind of enforcement overreach is unacceptable, which is why I supported legislation to strengthen oversight, demand accountability and protect the due process and civil rights of all community members,” he added. “While I will continue to fight at the state level in every way I can, I urge community members to stay informed, know your rights and take steps to keep yourselves and your loved ones safe.
