Two federal officers fire shots, killing Minneapolis nurse

Two federal officers fired shots during an encounter with Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, over the weekend in Minneapolis, a Customs and Border Protection official told Congress this week. Pretti died in the encounter. The disclosure came amid scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, where this is the second fatal shooting by immigration law enforcement this month. Separately, Ecuador filed a diplomatic protest after federal immigration agents attempted to enter the country’s consulate in Minneapolis without authorization.

The encounter has triggered federal court interventions halting deportations, ordered the acting ICE director to appear in court, and prompted questions about whether federal officers followed established protocols during enforcement operations.

The encounter

During the encounter, a Border Patrol agent yelled “He’s got a gun!” multiple times, according to the official notification to Congress. Officers tried to take Pretti into custody during the immigration enforcement operation, but he resisted, leading to a struggle. A Border Patrol officer and a CBP officer each fired Glock pistols, according to the notice.

The CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility analyzed the incident based on body-worn camera footage and agency documentation. Federal law requires the agency to inform relevant congressional committees of deaths in CBP custody within 72 hours.

Trump administration response

President Donald Trump said the administration intends to “de-escalate a little bit” in Minnesota following the encounter. He sent border czar Tom Homan to take charge of immigration enforcement operations in the state, saying Homan, “as tough as he is, gets along” with governors and mayors, even in Democratic-led areas, during an interview on Fox News’ “Will Cain Show.”

Trump declined to comment directly on whether the shooting was justified, saying only that a “big investigation” was underway.

Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller initially called Pretti “an assassin,” but later issued a statement suggesting that CBP officers in Minneapolis “may not have been following” protocol. He said the Homeland Security Department’s initial statements about what transpired “were based on reports from CBP on the ground.”

Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, along with the city’s police chief, met with Homan on Tuesday. They agreed to continue discussions. Homan said the discussions “were a productive starting point” in a post on social media. Immigration enforcement activity observed by journalists in Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs on Tuesday appeared consistent with recent weeks, with most operations not resulting in major confrontations with agents.

Ecuador files diplomatic protest

Ecuador filed a formal protest after federal immigration agents attempted to enter the country’s consulate in Minneapolis without permission, according to its foreign ministry. A video showed a consulate staffer preventing agents from entering the building, with the staffer telling them: “This is the Ecuadorian consulate. You’re not allowed to enter.” An ICE officer was heard in the video threatening the staffer before eventually agreeing to leave.

International law generally prohibits law enforcement authorities from entering foreign consulates or embassies without permission, except in life-threatening emergencies. “Consulate officials immediately prevented the ICE officer from entering the consular building, thus ensuring the protection of the Ecuadorians who were present at the time and activating the emergency protocols issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility,” Ecuador’s ministry said on X.

Ecuador filed a “note of protest” with the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador to prevent similar attempts at other consulates. The State Department, Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Federal court actions

Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of the federal district court in Minnesota ordered Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, to appear in his courtroom Friday. The judge issued the order after ICE failed to comply with court directives regarding ongoing immigration detention cases.

“This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result,” Schiltz wrote in his order. He acknowledged that ordering the head of a federal agency to appear personally is extraordinary, but said circumstances warranted it. “But the extent of ICE’s violation of court orders is likewise extraordinary, and lesser measures have been tried and failed,” he wrote.

U.S. Judge Fred Biery in Texas issued a temporary order Monday halting the removal or transfer of a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father who were detained in Minnesota. The judge ordered that their case proceed before any removal decision is made.

Federal immigration authorities released an Ecuadorian man whose detention had triggered the chief federal judge’s order requiring the ICE director’s appearance, according to the man’s attorney.