Federal agents deployed in Minneapolis will begin withdrawing from the metropolis today, its mayor announced yesterday Monday, as US President Donald Trump multiplies conciliatory gestures following the death of a second American shot by police officers tasked with implementing his anti-immigration policy. The death of Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse, during a Saturday protest in Minnesota’s largest urban center was a “tragedy” and the president “doesn’t want to see people hurt or killed in the streets,” White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt assured the press yesterday afternoon.
Facing a storm of criticism—even from his own political camp—for the harsh line in the northern American city, the tycoon announced via Truth Social that he had a “very good” phone conversation with the state’s Democratic governor Tim Walz, followed by one with Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey.
Minneapolis: The “border czar” takes charge of operations in Minnesota
The latter subsequently announced via X that “some federal agents will begin leaving the area” within the day. “I will continue fighting for the rest of the agents involved in this operation to leave,” added the Democratic official.
Some federal agents will begin leaving the area tomorrow, and I will continue pushing for the rest involved in this operation to go.
— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) January 26, 2026
Mr. Frey is also expected to meet within the day with Tom Homan, who was tasked with continuing to execute President Trump’s mass deportation policy and who was sent there yesterday evening. Mr. Homan, who “reports directly” to the head of state, will direct ICE operations, replacing border patrol chief Greg Bovino, according to American media.
However, Trump’s demand remains, now a red line for local Democratic officials, to cooperate with federal immigration services. Much of the state is considered in practice a “sanctuary” for migrants: it has limited cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE.
The justice investigation
In an atmosphere of extreme polarization following the death of Rene Good, a 37-year-old American woman, shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis on January 7th, the justice system was called to provide answers on two fronts yesterday. According to American press reports, a federal judge promised to rule quickly on the Minnesota attorney general’s request to suspend the anti-immigration operation in the state.
This could set a legal precedent in the US, David Schultz, a professor of political science and law at Hamline University, pointed out to the French Press Agency. A lawsuit to prevent authorities from destroying evidence in the Pretti case was heard, but no verdict has been announced yet.
“An investigation is being conducted (…) obviously we won’t destroy evidence,” assured the number two at the Justice Department, Todd Blanche—formerly President Trump’s personal lawyer—on Fox News yesterday morning. Among other things, Democrats in the federal Congress threaten to freeze federal funding if there is no reform of federal immigration services.
Trump on Minnesota: “I don’t like shootings, but I don’t like someone going to a protest armed”
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, President Trump implied that federal officers will leave Minnesota “at some point.”
Regarding Alex Pretti’s death, he said “I don’t like shootings,” but added “but I don’t like someone going to a protest armed.”
As in the Rene Good case, his administration blamed the 37-year-old nurse’s death on himself, accusing him of carrying a gun—though he had a carry permit, local authorities countered.
French Press Agency analysis based on videos capturing his death contradicts the official version, which claimed he posed a threat to federal agents’ lives.
🚨 CONFIRMED: The man shot by federal agents in Minneapolis has died, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara tells the Star Tribune.
Sources say ICE tried to order local police off the scene.
O’Hara refused and told officers to preserve it.
The BCA is now en route.
DHS claims… pic.twitter.com/7f8dUeDiBI
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 24, 2026
Footage shows the nurse on the street, recording with his phone an operation by armed men wearing vests labeled “police.”
He tries to intervene when an agent violently pushes a female protester and gets pepper sprayed in the face. An agent throws him face-down and multiple colleagues surround him.
When a gray-uniformed officer finds a weapon on Alex Pretti, who is being held by several other officers, a gunshot is heard. Many more shots follow—at least ten.
The victim’s parents accused President Trump’s administration in their statement of spreading “disgusting lies” about their son. Top White House adviser Stephen Miller accused Alex Pretti of nothing less than “domestic terrorism,” while Greg Bovino told CNN that his agents who shot Alex Pretti were “the victims” in this case.
Grief and anger in Minneapolis
A “massacre in the streets” is being committed, said Steven McLaughlin on his part, sighing yesterday Monday amid polar cold in Minneapolis, as he paid tribute to Alex Pretti.
An improvised memorial has been set up in the snow, exactly where the 37-year-old intensive care nurse was shot, not far from where Rene Good, his American contemporary, was killed on January 7th by ICE agent bullets.
Despite the cold—wind chill was at minus 20° Celsius—crowds continued, without stopping, to leave flowers, photos, candles and handwritten messages at the site, under the stern gazes of nearby police officers.
Some stood briefly, with bowed heads. Others stayed longer, struggling to hold back tears.
Alex Pretti, many noted, died as he lived: trying to care for others.
“Thank you for your compassion and your love for those you cared for,” read a handwritten inscription among the flowers.
The nurse tried to help a woman who was violently pushed by an officer when federal agents threw him down, before shooting him more than ten times.
“This isn’t America”
68-year-old Steven McLaughlin said he was shocked both by Alex Pretti’s death and by statements from President Donald Trump’s administration officials, who blamed the victim—accusing him of “terrorism.”
“Corruption is now the norm, no one can trust the government. It’s terrible and despicable that you can execute anyone in cold blood on the street and then defame them and lie about what happened,” the Minnesota retiree emphasized with evident indignation.
“People need to know this, this must stop and we must stop it now. This is a massacre in the streets, this isn’t America,” he insisted.
“They’re lying. It’s terrible, because we all have eyes, we all saw what happened. We saw what happened on Saturday and we saw what happened to Rene Good,” added Taylor Stoddart, 25, speaking in a heavily charged tone.
“They’re trying to tell us not to believe what we saw with our own eyes. Are you kidding me? It’s really sad, it’s really scary,” she added, shaking her head.
Trisha Dolley, a nurse, felt that Alex Pretti’s death affected her directly.
“This isn’t the America we can live in, this isn’t what we want, none of us. It’s not possible,” said the 58-year-old.
Others expressed themselves more discretely, though they struggled to find words to describe how they felt.
A Minneapolis resident, who gave only her first name, Jessica, struggling to hold back tears, summarized why she felt the need to go there.
“What’s happening is an attack against the Constitution, against the rights of American citizens,” she said. “The freedoms being restricted today are those we fought for, they’re the reason the American revolution happened,” she explained.
