The crowd of anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, continued to grow overnight following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a U.S. citizen and ICU nurse, by a federal agent during an enforcement operation tied to immigration raids. The incident, which occurred on January 24, 2026, has sparked widespread outrage and rapidly escalated into large-scale street demonstrations across the city.

According to authorities, Border Patrol agents were involved in a confrontation during federal immigration enforcement activity when Pretti was shot and killed. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, but the death has become a flashpoint for activists opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and broader federal immigration policies. Protesters have cited the killing as evidence of excessive force and lack of accountability in federal law enforcement operations.

Aerial video from the scene shows hundreds of demonstrators blocking major intersections, erecting makeshift barricades, and occupying streets late into the night. Chants and signs condemning ICE and federal immigration enforcement filled the area as tensions intensified between protesters and law enforcement. In response to the growing unrest, Minnesota officials activated elements of the National Guard to assist local authorities in maintaining order and protecting critical infrastructure.

The Minneapolis protests follow a similar fatal incident three weeks earlier, when protester Renee Good was killed during a separate encounter involving an ICE agent. That earlier death had already heightened tensions and distrust, setting the stage for the current wave of demonstrations. Together, the two incidents have fueled demands for independent investigations, prosecutions where warranted, and sweeping reforms to federal immigration enforcement practices.

The unrest is unfolding amid intensified immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, including expanded deportation operations that have drawn both strong support and fierce opposition nationwide. As Minneapolis braces for additional demonstrations, city and state officials face mounting pressure to balance public safety, constitutional protest rights, and accountability for the use of deadly force by federal agents.