Federal Agents Confront Protesters in Minneapolis with Teargas and Lethal Force
Federal agents deployed teargas canisters against demonstrators in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday 24 January, in a dramatic escalation of tensions. The confrontation occurred as armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, clad in camouflage fatigues, helmets, and gas masks, took to the streets, with one agent heard comparing the scene to a military video game, remarking, "It's like Call of Duty. So cool, huh?"
Fatal Shooting of Alex Pretti Sparks Outrage
During the operation, federal agents wrestled 37-year-old Alex Pretti to the ground and shot him dead. Pretti, identified as an ICU nurse, was fatally wounded just over a mile from where Renee Good was killed earlier in January, and less than a mile from the site where police murdered George Floyd in May 2020. The Department of Homeland Security claimed officers fired "defensive shots" after a man with a handgun approached them, but Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accused authorities of a "rush to judgment," calling the shooting "sickening."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanded at a press conference, "How many more residents, how many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end?" referring to the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown in the city. An angry crowd gathered, swearing at federal officers and labeling them "cowards."
Political Context and Historical Comparisons
This deployment is part of a broader strategy under President Donald Trump's second term, which has seen ICE agents sent to Democratic-led cities, often with Black leadership, in what critics describe as collective punishment. Trump has deployed 3,000 ICE officers and Customs and Border Protection agents to Minnesota, vastly outnumbering local police forces. Many operate with masks and weapons, but insufficient training in de-escalation techniques.
Trump's focus on Minnesota is notable, as he lost the state in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections, despite false claims of victory. The state is home to a large Somali community and progressive Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, both targets of Trump's animus. Historian Garrett Graff wrote on his blog, "This is what fascism looks like – there is a US city living under occupation by fascist presidential secret police right now."
Broader Implications and Democratic Response
The incident has drawn comparisons to authoritarian regimes, with Trump's tactics reminiscent of historical figures like Saddam Hussein or Joseph Stalin. In the past week, Trump has also lashed out at NATO allies over disputes in Davos, highlighting a pattern of vengeful behavior.
Democrats have reacted with horror to the shooting. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted on social media, "Americans are being killed in the street by their government. Our Constitution is being shredded and our rights are dissolving. Resist." She urged Senate Democrats to block ICE funding and activate the National Guard.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker warned, "We're in a precarious moment... if we do not stop this now, if we don't abolish Trump's ICE and make sure that we have a trained force that is following the law, this is going to erupt into something really terrible."
On-the-Ground Realities and Civil Liberties Concerns
TV footage showed the air thick with teargas as agents forced a protester to the ground, who screamed, "I'm a United States citizen! You're gonna kill me!" Nearby, a woman knelt screaming as a man tried to comfort her. Reports indicate local politicians have been roughed up, legal observers detained without charge, schoolchildren teargassed, and motorists dragged from their cars. Even Native Americans have been stopped and questioned, with filming agents enough to be branded a domestic terrorist.
This event follows the police murder of George Floyd, which sparked nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, and now, with Pretti's death, America faces another febrile moment. As western leaders recently drew a line against Trump's bullying in Davos, Pretti's killing could be a reckoning for Democrats to end what they see as Trump's war on his own people.
