Minneapolis, MINA – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued a direct plea on Sunday to President Donald Trump to withdraw nearly 3,000 federal immigration agents deployed to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area following the shooting death of 37-year-old American Alex Pretti by a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
At a news conference, Walz challenged the federal government’s narrative that Pretti had attacked agents. Citing multiple witness videos, the governor described Pretti as an accomplished ICU nurse with no criminal record who was attempting to help a female protester. The footage shows an agent pepper-spraying Pretti before he was wrestled to the ground, disarmed of his legally-owned handgun, and shot multiple times.
Walz condemned the response from Trump and top officials, calling it “despicable beyond all description.” He accused the administration of immediately smearing Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” sealing the crime scene, and defying a court order.
“There’s one person who can end this now… President Trump, you can end this today,” said Walz, also referencing the January 7th killing of 37-year-old Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
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A witness account filed in court on Sunday corroborated Walz’s version, stating Pretti did not appear to be resisting but was trying to help a woman up. A Minnesota judge has since issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from destroying evidence related to the shooting.
The incident has drawn bipartisan calls for accountability. Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama stated the shooting should be “wake-up call to every American,” criticizing the administration’s “unprecedented tactics” for escalating tensions. Republican Senator Thom Tillis also demanded a “thorough and impartial investigation,” warning that any official rushing to judgment does a disservice to the nation.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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