ICE-Cold Deaths: Minneapolis Freezes in Fear as Federal Agents Kill Second US Citizen
MINNEAPOLIS — The streets of Minneapolis have turned into a frozen battleground, both literally and politically, as the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge” claimed its second life in less than three weeks.
On Saturday, a federal agent shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and US citizen, just blocks away from where another citizen, Renee Nicole Good, was killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents earlier this month.
The killings have plunged the city into turmoil, with protesters braving -21°C (-6°F) temperatures to demand the expulsion of federal agents, while Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has activated the National Guard to maintain order.
“Shot While Holding a Phone”
The latest incident occurred Saturday morning in the “Eat Street” corridor. Witnesses and video footage appear to contradict the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) official claim that Pretti was armed and “violently resisted.”
“He was holding a phone, not a gun,” Pretti’s family stated in a heartbreaking release. “Alex was an ICU nurse who saved lives. He was killed by cowards while trying to protect his neighbors.”
Federal Judge Eric Tostrud moved swiftly on Saturday night, granting a temporary restraining order against the DHS to prevent them from “altering or destroying evidence” related to the shooting—a rare judicial rebuke of federal law enforcement.
A Pattern of “ICE-Cold” Violence
This death follows the January 7 killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old poet and mother of three. ICE agents shot Good in her vehicle, claiming she attempted to run them over—a narrative that Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Walz have dismissed as “nonsense” after reviewing body-cam footage.
Critics argue that “Operation Metro Surge,” launched by President Trump to crack down on undocumented migrants in sanctuary cities, has devolved into an indiscriminate campaign of terror that is now claiming American lives.
“They are shooting first and lying later,” said local activist Javier Mendez, who witnessed the Saturday shooting. “It doesn’t matter if you are a citizen or an immigrant. If you step out in this cold, you are a target.”
Political Showdown
The violence has triggered a constitutional crisis between Minnesota and Washington D.C.
- The Governor: Tim Walz has openly accused the Trump administration of “invading” the state and has demanded that federal agents stand down.
- The White House: President Trump has doubled down, describing the protesters as “anarchists” and threatening to deploy more federal assets to the Twin Cities.
As the temperature drops further, the tension rises. Minneapolis residents are now living in a city patrolled by National Guard troops, federal agents, and angry protesters—a chilling new reality for the American Midwest.