Police tape hangs in front of a makeshift memorial at the site where a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
(New York, New York) – Public officials and celebrities from across the political and cultural spectrum weighed in following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, turning the incident into a national flashpoint in the debate over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered one of the strongest rebukes, accusing the agency of systemic violence. “As tens of thousands across America protest the violence that ICE sows with impunity, federal agents shot and killed another person in Minneapolis today,” Mamdani said. “ICE terrorizes our cities. ICE puts us all in danger. Abolish ICE.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he spoke directly with the White House following the shooting, calling the incident “sickening” and demanding an immediate end to federal operations in the state. Walz urged the president to “pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota,” insisting that state investigators must lead the probe and that federal agents “must not obstruct” Minnesota’s ability to maintain public safety.
Republican leaders forcefully rejected those claims. Vice President JD Vance said ICE agents had sought cooperation from local officials during his visit to Minnesota. “What the ICE agents wanted more than anything was to work with local law enforcement so that situations on the ground didn’t get out of hand,” Vance said, adding that “local leadership in Minnesota has so far refused to answer those requests.”
President Donald Trump defended ICE in a post on social media, writing, “LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB!” Trump claimed that “12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals” had been arrested in Minnesota and warned that conditions would be “far worse” without federal enforcement.
White House adviser Stephen Miller went further, accusing Democrats of siding with violence. “A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists,” Miller said.
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama released a joint statement calling Pretti’s death “a heartbreaking tragedy” and urging Americans to reflect on what they described as an erosion of the nation’s core values.
Celebrities also joined the outcry. Actress Natalie Portman said the actions of ICE represented “the worst of the worst of humanity,” while Florence Pugh described Pretti as “a hero” and labeled the incident a murder. Reality TV star Lisa Rinna warned that ICE “does not belong in our communities,” while pop star Olivia Rodrigo said the agency’s actions were “unconscionable.”
NBA star Angel Reese offered a brief response, saying she was “praying for our country,” while author Stephen King stated bluntly, “Alex Pretti was murdered.”
As protests continue and political tensions escalate, the shooting has become a defining moment in the ongoing national fight over immigration enforcement, federal authority, and public trust in law enforcement.
