Creator( )euro newswithAP
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Democrats and protesters are demanding that federal immigration agents leave Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed a man in Minneapolis. This is the second fatal shooting of an American in the city in the past three weeks.
The slain man was identified as Alex Preti, 37, an intensive care unit nurse.
After the shooting, hundreds of people took to the streets to protest the presence of federal immigration agents in the state, clashing with federal agents who brandished batons and deployed flash bangs.
During a press conference with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other lawmakers after the shooting, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said, “Right now, we’re focused on getting ICE out of this state, and of course we’re going to use every tool we can. But what I want people to remember is that Donald Trump runs the White House, and unfortunately, we haven’t seen any Republican members stand up so far. He also appears to be running Congress.” Klobuchar also called on Republicans to stand by their cause.
Mayor Frey said the city is filing a declaration to urge the judge to grant a temporary restraining order that will “provide immediate relief and help stop this operation that is so harmful to the city.”
The Department of Homeland Security said in its own statement that during the operation, a man approached Border Patrol agents with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and resisted attempts to disarm them. The statement claimed the operatives fired “defensive fire.”
However, a witness video of the shooting released shortly afterward showed Preeti holding a cellphone and no obvious signs of brandishing a weapon.
Just a few weeks ago, Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent while behind the wheel of her car, sparking public outrage and protests.
President Trump accuses Democrats of ‘riot’
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump slammed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and the Mayor of Minneapolis on his social media platform Truth Social.
President Trump posted an image of a gun that immigration officials said had been recovered and commented, “What the hell is going on? Where are the local police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE agents?”
President Trump also said Democratic governors and mayors are “inciting insurrection with arrogant, dangerous and arrogant statements.”
Walz said he doesn’t trust federal authorities and that the state will lead the investigation into the shooting.
But even after the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Enforcement obtained a signed judicial warrant, federal agents were prevented from entering the scene, said Drew Evans, director of the department.
Who is Alex Preti?
Preti was an ICU nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital who cared deeply about others and was outraged by President Donald Trump’s actions toward immigrants in the city, her family said. According to her family, Preti was participating in a protest on January 7 after the killing of Renee Good by another ICE agent.
“He thought it was terrible, just kidnapping children and grabbing people off the streets. He cared about those people and he knew it was wrong, so he went to the protests,” said Alex’s father, Michael Preti.
He had no criminal history, according to court records, and his family said he had never had any dealings with law enforcement, other than a few traffic tickets.
Preti owned a handgun and had a concealed carry permit in Minnesota, according to his family. But they said they didn’t know he carried it.
video editor • Lucy Doverrow