During a deeply emotional segment on his late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel struggled to maintain his composure as he addressed the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The incident occurred amid escalating immigration enforcement operations that have heightened tensions across the city.
A City Under Strain
Minneapolis has been grappling with significant unrest following a series of controversial federal actions. Pretti's death comes just weeks after another local resident, 37-year-old Renee Good, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in the same area. These back-to-back tragedies have sparked widespread community outrage and drawn national attention to the tactics being employed during immigration raids.
Kimmel's Emotional Response
During his Monday night monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host revealed he had spent much of the weekend 'looking at my phone and just feeling shocked and sick at what's happening in Minneapolis.' He described watching a continuous stream of disturbing videos depicting federal immigration operations that appeared to leave families torn apart and communities in distress.
With visible emotion, Kimmel recounted witnessing scenes of individuals being forcibly removed from their vehicles, parents screaming as they were separated from their children, and even infants being exposed to tear gas during the operations. He made the startling claim that many of those detained appeared to be American citizens who were targeted simply for having accents.
Graphic Descriptions of Raids
'One video after another, screaming people being torn from their families, Americans - people who were born in the United States - being pulled out of their cars for the crime of having an accent or whatever,' Kimmel told his audience. 'Children, small children, babies being tear-gassed, taken into custody, separated from their parents.'
The comedian went on to deliver a sharp critique of the federal agents involved in these operations, branding them as 'poorly trained, shamefully-led, mask-wearing goons' who were carrying out what he described as 'one atrocity after another.' He added with palpable frustration: 'And that is what they are: They're goons committing vile, heartless, and even criminal acts. It's sickening to watch, and it's frustrating to watch.'
Questioning Official Narratives
Kimmel specifically addressed the circumstances surrounding Alex Pretti's death, noting that federal authorities had claimed the ICU nurse posed a threat because he was carrying a firearm in an open-carry state where he had a legal license. However, Kimmel emphasized that video evidence and witness accounts suggested Pretti never drew or touched his weapon during the encounter.
'They fired 10 times on an ICU nurse,' Kimmel stated incredulously. 'And they're telling us, 'Well, it was justified.'' He pointed out that agents had already taken possession of Pretti's firearm before the fatal shots were fired, raising serious questions about the necessity of using lethal force.
A Reckoning for Trump Supporters
The late-night host framed the Minneapolis situation as a moment of reckoning for supporters of the Trump administration's immigration policies. 'Is that the law and order that you voted for?' he asked pointedly. 'If you voted for this - every day is a nightmare.'
Kimmel went on to question the broader strategic thinking behind the immigration raids. 'How does this end? What's the plan here? Is the plan to just keep doing this in every city that didn't vote for Donald Trump?' His questions highlighted growing concerns about the politicization of federal immigration enforcement.
Appealing for Common Ground
Expanding his message beyond partisan politics, Kimmel made an emotional appeal for viewers to find areas of agreement across political divides. 'Does anyone on any side believe this is good leadership?' he asked. 'We keep saying we need to find subjects that we can agree on. Can we agree that peaceful protesters, including moms driving SUVs on their way back after dropping their 6-year-old off at school and a nurse who stepped in to protect a woman from harm, don't deserve to be shot dead in the street by the people we are paying to protect us? Can we agree on that?'
As audience applause filled the studio, Kimmel encouraged viewers to conduct their own research into the Minneapolis incidents and appealed directly to conservatives to speak out against what he characterized as excessive force. 'Where are the reasonable voices on the right?' he implored. 'We don't have to agree on everything, but come on!'
Criticism of Media Coverage
The comedian singled out Fox News for its handling of the Minneapolis story, showing clips from the network's broadcasts and arguing that they were failing to report the full facts of the situation. 'Let's cut the bullsh*t already because it may be Fox, but it ain't news,' he declared bluntly.
The Minneapolis Context
Alex Pretti was among approximately 50 protesters who had gathered in south Minneapolis to challenge federal agents conducting an immigration arrest. Video footage from the scene shows Pretti filming the agents with his phone before appearing to step forward to assist a woman who was being pepper-sprayed or shoved by Border Patrol officers.
According to witness accounts and video analysis, officers tackled Pretti to the ground. While the Department of Homeland Security later claimed he approached agents carrying a 9mm handgun, multiple video reviews indicate he was holding only his phone when the altercation began. Witnesses and video evidence suggest that Pretti, a licensed gun owner, never drew or pointed his firearm before agents opened fire.
Earlier Tragedy: Renee Good's Death
The shooting of Alex Pretti occurred against the backdrop of another recent tragedy in Minneapolis. Just weeks earlier, on January 7, 2026, Renee Good was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in south Minneapolis after stopping near an immigration raid with her wife, Rebecca.
Federal officials claimed Good attempted to use her SUV as a weapon, but witness testimony and video footage appear to contradict this narrative, showing her steering away from the agent before he fired three shots. The couple had joined community members who were monitoring ICE activity in their neighborhood, with Rebecca later explaining they were there to 'support our neighbors' and describing Good as a devoted mother and community activist.
A Message of Solidarity
As he concluded his powerful monologue, Kimmel placed responsibility for the escalating situation squarely on political leaders who he argued were fueling fear rather than calming tensions. His voice breaking with emotion, he delivered a final message of support to those affected by the violence.
'And to the people of Minneapolis,' Kimmel said through tears, 'To the Pretti family and the Good family and these people who were looking out for their neighbors, we want you to know that we are with you and you are not alone.'
The emotional segment highlighted growing national concern about immigration enforcement tactics and their impact on communities, while giving voice to the grief and frustration felt by many Minneapolis residents in the wake of these tragic events.
