Minnesota: Agents in Pretti shooting placed on leave — media

Two agents involved in the shooting of Alex Pretti have reportedly been placed on leave. Meanwhile, a suspect who targeted Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar has a criminal history and made pro-Trump posts, police say.

Here is our coverage surrounding the latest events in Minnesota on Wednesday, January 28, 2026:

A new video has emerged showing a physical clash between Alex Pretti and federal agents over a week before he was killed by Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis.

The video was posted by the news outlet The News Movement.

In it, Pretti is seen shouting at agents and kicking their vehicle's taillight as they are driving away.

The agents stop, exit their vehicle and tackle Pretti to the ground. The altercation lasts a few seconds before Pretti gets up.

It is unclear what happened immediately before or after the footage.

Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, had been protesting the presence of ICE agents in the city.

"Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex's killing," a lawyer for Pretti’s family said in a statement, the New York Times reported.

A US judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from targeting the roughly 5,000 lawful refugees in Minnesota who are awaiting green cards.

US District Judge John Tunheim in Minneapolis said federal agents likely violated multiple statutes by ⁠arresting some ‍of these refugees to subject them to additional vetting.

He issued a temporary restraining order blocking officials ‌from ⁠arresting lawful refugees in the state who have not been charged with immigration violations.

The judge said the ruling would remain in place until he can hear additional ‍legal arguments by civil rights groups challenging the policy.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, an ardent proponent of the hardline immigration policy, criticized the ruling on X, saying: "The judicial sabotage of democracy is unending."

The order marks a setback to the Trump administration, which recently launched "a sweeping initiative reexamining thousands of refugee cases through ​new background checks."

US Senate Democrats have called for new restrictions on agents carrying out the Trump's administration offensive to detain and deport suspected illegal immigrants.

Senate Democratic ⁠Leader ‍Chuck Schumer said agents with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including ICE, must stop wearing face masks and use body cameras.

He also demanded that they follow the ⁠same use-of-force rules as local police.

They must also agree to tighter rules ‌requiring search warrants, he said. Immigration agents typically rely on ‌warrants ⁠signed by DHS officials, not judges.

"What ICE is doing is state-sanctioned thuggery. It must stop," Schumer told a press conference.

Democrats have warned that they will not agree to extend DHS funding without new limits on the immigration crackdown.

If both sides fail to reach a deal, it could trigger a partial government shutdown this weekend, as DHS funding is tied up in a broader spending bill that also covers the Defense Department, the Transportation ​Department and several other agencies.

Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar blamed President Donald Trump for threats to her safety.

"Every time the president of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket,” Omar said during a press conference.

A day ago, Omar was accosted and sprayed with liquid at an event in Minneapolis.

The man arrested for the attack has posted online in support of Trump.

Asked if she was nervous about appearing in public, Omar said, "Fear and intimidation doesn't work on me."

The family of Alex Pretti, the intensive care nurse shot and killed by federal agents on Saturday, have hired a prominent former federal prosecutor to represent them.

Steve Schleicher, best known for helping secure the murder conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd, will represent Michael and Susan Pretti pro bono.

Pretti's sister has retained separate counsel as the family seeks to protect its interests after the shooting.

Pretti's death comes just weeks after Minneapolis resident Renee Good was also shot dead by federal immigration officers. Her family is being represented by a legal team that previously worked with the family of George Floyd.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, sought to console travelers who are expected to visit her city for this year's FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada. 

Eight World Cup games are expected to be played in Los Angeles in June and July.  

"We need to show a better face to the world, that we are going to welcome people, that they're not going to have immigration problems," Bass told journalists, while affirming that World Cup visitors are "welcome" in her city.

She said FIFA visitors would not be directly impacted by Trump's immigration crackdown, which may concern some foreign travelers who wish to come to the US for the major sports event.  

"But I do think that message has to come from the White House as well. They are the ones that need to send that message," Bass said.     

Bass' comments come after former FIFA President Sepp Blatter called on fans to boycott the tournament and "stay away from the United States!"  

Last year, US Vice President JD Vance said regarding the World Cup: "Of course everyone is welcome to come and see this wonderful event. We want to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the games."

"But when the time is up we want them to go home, otherwise they will have to talk to Secretary Noem," Vance added, referring to US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. ICE is an agency in Noem's department. 

US rockstar Bruce Springsteen released a new song expressing solidarity with the people of Minneapolis, with the tune also harshly criticizing President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown there. 

"It is dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good," he said in a statement, referring to two Americans who were killed by US immigration authorites this month in Minnesota.   

The song's hearkens back to his 1993 song "Streets of Philadephia."

It calls out "King Trump" and refers to "Miller and Noem's dirty lies." Top White House adviser Stephen Miller and US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem both smeared Alex Pretti after his death by US Border Patrol last weekend.  

Springsteen belts out in the chorus: "Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice / Crying through the bloody mist / We'll remember the names of those who dies / On the streets of Minneapolis."

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded to the new protest anthem from "The Boss."

"The Trump Administration is focused on encouraging state and local Democrats to work with federal law enforcement officers on removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from their communities — not random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information," Jackson said.   

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in an X post that she is "on the ground" in Minneapolis.

She claimed that federal agents "arrested 16 Minnesota rioters for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement — people who have been resisting and impeding our federal law enforcement agents."

At least two federal immigration agents who fired their weapons during the fatal shooting of US citizen Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend have been placed on administrative leave, US media reported on Wednesday, citing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources and standard post-shooting procedure.

Fox News and MS NOW reported the DHS move as part of routine protocol while investigations into the January 24 encounter continue.

The shooting was the second fatal encounter this month between federal immigration agents and US citizens in Minnesota.

US Customs and Border Protection said it is reviewing the shooting as part of ongoing inquiries.

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A man who squirted an unknown substance on Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall event on Tuesday has a criminal record and has posted online in support of US President Donald Trump.

Police said the 55-year-old suspect used a syringe to spray liquid at Omar, who Trump has vehemently criticized on several occasions. Officers tackled and arrested him, jailing him on a preliminary third-degree assault charge.

Court records show the man was convicted of felony auto theft in 1989, has multiple DUI arrests, and numerous traffic citations, and filings indicate financial trouble, including two bankruptcies.

The man had not been formally charged or scheduled for an initial court appearance as of Wednesday morning; the Hennepin County Attorney's Office has until Thursday to file charges and could seek an extension, and the public defender’s office said the case has not been assigned.

In social media posts, the suspect described himself as a former network engineer in Minneapolis, criticized former President Joe Biden, and labeled Democrats "angry and liars."

In one post, he wrote, "Trump wants the US is stronger and more prosperous," adding calls to stop other countries from "stealing from us" and threatening violence. He also made racist posts about the US Civil War and slavery.

US President Donald Trump has warned Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey that he is "playing with fire" by refusing to have his city help with the Trump administration's federal immigration crackdown.

Trump told Frey that the city's refusal to cooperate with federal authorities in pursuing suspected illegal immigrants was "a very serious violation of the law."

The warning, posted on Trump's Truth Social account, appeared to contradict the 79-year-old Republican president’s earlier comment that he wanted to "de-escalate."

Hello readers, and thank you for joining us as we track developments related to the recent protests and violence in Minneapolis. Follow this blog for the latest updates.