US President Donald Trump has said his administration will “de-escalate a little bit” its immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota following the second fatal shooting of a US citizen by federal immigration officers in less than a month.
Speaking in a Fox News interview on Tuesday, Trump described the incidents as “terrible,” acknowledging growing public anger and political pressure after the death of Alex Pretti over the weekend. Pretti, an intensive care nurse at a veterans’ hospital, was shot during an encounter with border agents, sparking protests in Minnesota and renewed national debate over federal immigration tactics.
The latest shooting came just weeks after Renee Good was fatally shot by an immigration officer in early January, further intensifying scrutiny of the administration’s expanded immigration operations in the state.
Ahead of a rally in Iowa, Trump called Pretti’s killing “a very unfortunate incident,” but stopped short of directly criticising the officers involved. Asked about claims from senior officials that Pretti was a “domestic terrorist,” Trump said he was unaware of such characterisations, later adding that Pretti “shouldn’t have been carrying a gun.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had earlier accused Pretti of attempting to “perpetuate violence,” saying agents fired in self-defence after he brandished a weapon. However, local authorities and eyewitnesses disputed that account, saying Pretti’s firearm was legally registered and had already been removed before he was shot. Some witnesses said he was holding a phone, not a weapon.
A preliminary report by US Customs and Border Protection appears to contradict the Department of Homeland Security’s initial version of events, stating that two agents fired at Pretti without mentioning him reaching for a firearm.
In response to mounting criticism, DHS has removed the leader of its Minnesota mission, Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, and deployed White House border adviser Tom Homan to oversee operations. Homan confirmed he has met with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and local law enforcement officials.
While defending the broader immigration crackdown, Trump said federal operations had removed “thousands of hardened criminals” from Minnesota, contributing to improved crime figures. Still, he acknowledged the need to dial back tensions.
Calls for an independent investigation continue to grow, with lawmakers from both parties demanding transparency. A federal judge has ordered DHS to preserve all evidence related to the shootings as investigations proceed.