Far-Left Protest Network Accused of Orchestrating Minnesota ICE Confrontation That Ended in Nurse's Death
A complex and sophisticated network of far-left protest organisations has been accused of deliberately directing ICU nurse Alex Pretti to confront immigration officers in Minnesota, before exploiting his subsequent death to amplify their anti-ICE political message. According to a detailed report from Fox News, the groups maintained an organised database of 'ICE trackers' and demonstration coordinators, allegedly poised to deploy agitators to the scene within moments of the fatal shooting on Saturday.
Coordinated Protest and Immediate Aftermath
The report indicates that Pretti and other protesters were in the vicinity because they had received advanced warning that immigration enforcement officers were present to detain an individual. The demonstrators' stated intention was to disrupt the officers' operations, described as part of a 'strategic pattern of organised interference with law enforcement'. Footage from the incident shows Pretti rushing to aid a woman who had been pepper-sprayed, leading to a physical altercation in the street where he grappled with several officers. During the struggle, one officer appeared to remove a handgun from Pretti's waist.
Seconds later, a border patrol agent shot Pretti multiple times in the back. His death ignited widespread protests and intense debate over the justification for the use of lethal force. It was later confirmed that Pretti's firearm had been taken from its holster prior to the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security faced criticism for initially stating he had 'brandished' the weapon at officers and labelling him a 'domestic terrorist'.
Encrypted Chats and Rapid Mobilisation
Within hours of the tragedy, a national network of far-left protest groups and organisers reportedly utilised encrypted group chats to rally supporters and deliberately foment clashes with immigration authorities. Fox News cited encrypted Signal messages revealing how 'rapid responders' swiftly summoned 'backup' to the location and urged medics to attend 'in case agents start gassing protesters'.
The coordinated response drew comment from Vice President JD Vance on social media platform X. 'This level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis. It is the direct consequence of far left agitators, working with local authorities,' Vance wrote following weekend protests across Minnesota.
Sophisticated Tracking and Organisation
Investigations uncovered that local 'rapid responders' made at least 26 entries into a database named 'MN ICE Plates' to monitor vehicles used by immigration officials. Just moments before Pretti was shot, a video was shared to a group chat showing a user named 'Willow' alerting others that immigration officers were outside the Glam Doll donut shop. The footage depicted two agents, one wearing a vest marked 'Police', surveying the shop front before walking past a window sign reading 'ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA'. The person filming can be heard yelling 'no' and 'get out of here'.
Minutes later, another user called for 'backup' to the area. An 'urgent' message soon followed, alerting the network: 'Observers urgently requested at Glam Doll donuts @26th and Nicollet. An observer has been shot by ice, unknown condition, emts present, please be safe.'
Funding and Political Backing
The report suggests a hub of 'communist and socialist nonprofit organizations' is behind the protest mobilisation. Many are allegedly funded by American-born billionaire Neville Roy Singham, a self-declared Marxist-Leninist residing in Shanghai. Some groups are reported to be offshoots of the People’s Forum Inc., a nonprofit hub Singham has funded in New York City since 2017 to support socialist and communist causes.
Social media accounts linked to this far-left network, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, were among the first to widely disseminate footage of Pretti's shooting and to organise nationwide protests. BreakThrough News, a nonprofit arm of the People’s Forum, was a primary source in breaking the news, sharing social media posts that garnered millions of views. Shortly after Pretti was identified, these accounts distributed rapidly created graphics demanding 'Justice for Alex Pretti'.
Official Responses and Broader Context
The apparent coordination did not go unnoticed by officials. ICE Assistant Director Marcos Charles stated on Sunday that violence on the streets was 'not a coincidence'. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Commander-at-Large Greg Bovino alleged that Pretti had been on the scene for several minutes before the shooting, agitating officers beforehand.
According to the reported Signal messages, within minutes of the shooting, protesters were directed to the scene via group chats, and supplies including winter clothing and water were dispatched. Similar organisational efforts by far-left groups have been observed following other divisive incidents, including rapid protests in support of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro after his recent arrest by US forces.
The incident raises profound questions about the orchestration of civil disobedience, the role of external funding in domestic protests, and the tragic human cost when organised political activism intersects with law enforcement operations.
