Live: Fatal ICE Operation in Minneapolis

Link to article: Shots in the Crowd - Minneapolis on the Brink of Escalation - This Was Murder

National Guard Deployed in Minneapolis

The National Guard is already on the ground in Minneapolis. Governor Tim Walz has activated the troops, which are being deployed both at the site of the shooting and at a federal building where protests and tense confrontations have been taking place for days. The National Guard is supporting local police there in securing the situation.

National Guard Moves In - Minneapolis Remains on Edge

After the fatal shot fired by a federal agent in Minneapolis, the governor of Minnesota has activated the National Guard. The decision was made in light of growing protests following the death of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti, who was shot by a Border Patrol agent. Pretti, an intensive care nurse working in an intensive care unit, was identified by his parents. The agent who fired the shot has been in service for eight years. The National Guard is now supporting local police both at the scene of the shooting and at a federal building where tense confrontations have been taking place for days. The incident occurred just over one mile from the location where Renee Good was killed in an immigration enforcement operation in early January. Since then, Minneapolis and St. Paul have been under continuous protest. With the activation of the National Guard, the situation reaches a new level of escalation. The city is once again experiencing how quickly deadly violence, political decisions, and public anger become intertwined.

ICE over Minnesota - Hegseth Escalates Publicly

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has demonstratively positioned himself behind the immigration agency ICE and launched a frontal attack on Minnesota’s political leadership. In a post on the platform X, he thanked the officers involved and declared that they have one hundred percent support. At the same time, he sharply attacked those responsible in the state and insulted demonstrators in the streets. He formulated his central message unambiguously: ICE is more important than Minnesota. The wording marks a further sharpening of the tone from Washington amid an already tense situation. The statement is particularly explosive because Hegseth himself was born and raised in Minnesota. While protests, mourning, and demands for clarification are growing on the ground, the federal government is opting for open confrontation. Observers see this not as an attempt at calming the situation, but as a deliberate signal to place federal authorities above local politics and public criticism.

Rosen Draws a Red Line on ICE Funding

Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada has announced that she will vote against any budget legislation that includes funding for the immigration agency ICE. The decision followed the fatal shooting by a federal agent in Minneapolis and marks a clear escalation of the internal party debate. Rosen, who is considered a moderate and who in the past has repeatedly voted with Republicans, speaks of an abuse of power that can no longer be tolerated. The actions of ICE in Minneapolis and in other parts of the country are un-American and must not become normal. In her view, a clear political limitation of the agency is overdue. The move comes at a time when the Senate is debating a comprehensive funding package that also includes the Department of Homeland Security and is intended to prevent an impending government shutdown. With her announcement, Rosen increases pressure on her own party and signals that there will be no approval without consequences.

Top Democrat Calls for Noem’s Removal from Office

The highest-ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, Bennie Thompson, has openly called for the removal from office of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The trigger is the contradictory and, in his view, whitewashing statements by the administration regarding the fatal operation by federal agents. Thompson accused the Trump administration of respecting fundamental rights only when it is politically convenient and spoke of a concept of the state that is incompatible with democratic principles. He was particularly critical of the selective interpretation of freedom of speech and gun rights. At the same time, he called on the Democratic caucus in the U.S. Senate to withhold approval of a recently passed funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. Thompson described the events as un-American and stated that the House of Representatives must immediately initiate steps to remove Noem from office.

At the site of the shooting, people have begun to lay flowers and candles. More and more people are gathering.