Southland Democrats Saturday assailed the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, the second fatal shooting in that city this month involving U.S. immigration officers.
“This morning we learned of yet another tragic shooting in Minneapolis at the hands of federal agents. This violence has to stop and the president must remove these armed, federal forces from Minneapolis and other American cities,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement Saturday after news broke of the killing of a man identified as Alex Pretti.
“I have joined mayors from across the country in a federal court action to stop the Trump administration’s unconstitutional and unlawful deployment of federal agents in the Twin Cities. Our amicus brief supports Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul’s lawsuit to immediately end this militarized presence in their communities,” Bass continued.
“We must not allow fear and force to define our cities, or for the federal government to turn them into war zones. Operation Metro Surge, the federal government’s militarized crackdown that has claimed innocent lives and terrorized countless families, is unacceptable.
“Los Angeles stands firmly with Minneapolis and St. Paul and with every city defending our citizens’ civil rights and civil liberties. We will oppose every attempt to silence our communities, terrorize our neighborhoods, and undermine the Constitution’s protections. We will not allow it. We will resist it.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted remarks on X calling for “No new funding. Kristi Noem must RESIGN. Greg Bovino must be FIRED,” Newsom said. “Suspend the LAWLESS mass deportation raids nationwide NOW — ICE is no longer just deporting dangerous criminals. Send the border patrol back to the border. End the militarization of ICE + the sick racial profiling. End the perverse cash incentives that are bounties to perpetrate Trump’s cruel agenda. Require thorough, real background checks for everyone, and 2+ years of training before even setting foot in the field. INVESTIGATE and PROSECUTE every single federal agent who is breaking the law.”
A peaceful demonstration got underway at 4 p.m. Saturday at Mariachi Plaza off of Olvera Street, with an estimated 500 in attendance, and protesters marched to the Federal Building to join demonstrators there at 6 p.m.
The Los Angeles Police Department will have enough officers to handle anything that might arise, Officer Rosario Cervantes told City News Service.
The Los Angeles County Republican Party cautioned against a rush to judgment in what is certain to be another highly volatile case.
“In the aftermath of any officer involved shooting, it’s important to figure out what happened, which often is not possible to ascertain immediately. We were not present at the scene of this regrettable incident in Minneapolis, and neither was Mayor Karen Bass,” the party’s chairman said in a statement provided to City News Service. “It’s important to remind citizens that while the right to peacefully protest is sacrosanct in the United States of America, crossing that line and inciting people to resist law enforcement will often end in tragedy. Karen Bass should pay attention to the myriad challenges facing the residents of the City of Los Angeles under her failed leadership.”
Assemblyman Mark Gonzalez, D-Los Angeles and currently the Assembly’s majority whip, was even more blunt than Bass.
“F*CK ICE. F*CK TRUMP,” Gonzalez said in statement. “ICE has no shame. ICE silences protest with bullets. ICE only speaks the language of fear. ICE publicly executed Renee Good. ICE forcibly took a 5-year-old from their family. ICE murdered a peaceful protester in broad daylight.
“Where there should be protection, there is only the echo of gunfire. Where there should be justice, there is only another name taken too soon. SHAME ON ICE,” he wrote.
A demonstration and vigil for Pretti was hastily arranged at LA’s Mariachi Plaza at 4 p.m. Saturday. Another protest was scheduled from 6-8 p.m. at the Federal Building at 300 N. Los Angeles St. in downtown Los Angeles.
Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was shot and killed after authorities wrestled him to the ground early Saturday. U.S. officials said he was armed with a loaded gun while approaching federal law enforcement personnel.
“At 9:05 AM CT, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun …” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on social media.
“The officers attempted to disarm the suspect but the armed suspect violently resisted. … Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics on scene immediately delivered medical aid to the subject but was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect also had 2 magazines and no ID — this looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement,” the DHS statement continued.
Pretti may have been on the scene as part of ongoing daily protests in Minneapolis following the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Good, also 37, on Jan 7.
Critics of the Trump administration including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, were outraged at the shooting.
“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening, he posted on X. “The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”
Walz also insisted that Minnesota officials should handle the investigation into Saturday’s shooting.
Tricia McLaughlin of the DHS said protests against U.S. immigration officials in Minneapolis have turned violent.
“In Minneapolis, these rioters attacked our law enforcement officer and one of them bit off our … officer’s finger. He will lose his finger,” she wrote on X.
Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Whittier, released the following statement Saturday:
“The killing of U.S. citizens in our streets falls squarely at Trump’s feet. He is the one who unleashed federal agents to terrorize previously peaceful communities. Agents without training, accountability or respect for human life are not law enforcement — they have become hired assassins.
“The majority of House Democrats voted this week to block ICE’s funding and rein in the chaos. The Senate must immediately join us to end the escalation of violence. There must also be a completely independent and fully transparent investigation into these aggressive tactics, and anyone who broke the law must be held accountable.”
State Sen. Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, echoed those comments.
“After yet another senseless shooting by immigration enforcement officers, Americans are beyond sick and tired of the Trump administration’s lawless overreach. Here in Orange County, we are seeing increased and aggressive ICE activity that is having a harmful, lasting impact on our families, businesses and communities,” Umberg said.
“This kind of enforcement overreach is unacceptable, which is why I supported legislation to strengthen oversight, demand accountability and protect the due process and civil rights of all community members. While I will continue to fight at the state level in every way I can, I urge community members to stay informed, know your rights and take steps to keep yourselves and your loved ones safe.”