As of January 27, the U.S. has already seen 8 deaths, according to Ice.gov, over a quarter of the total amount we saw in 2025 (32 deaths), less than a month into the year. ICE agents have been seen in viral videos shoving, hitting, pepper-spraying, restraining, and even shooting civilians. There have been several videos circulating on the internet lately showing ICE victims’ final moments, the most recent being that of Alex Pretti, an American citizen.
Who Was Alex Pretti?
Alex Jeffrey Pretti was a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Hospital. Born November 9, 1988 in Illinois to parents Susan and Michael Pretti (as well as younger sister Micayla), Alex was described as an outdoorsman who thoroughly enjoyed mountain biking and caring for his community and its inhabitants. He graduated from Preble High School in Green Bay Wisconsin in 2006, where he participated in football, baseball, track, choir, and even Boy Scouts. According to BBC, He graduated again in 2011 from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s in biology, society, and the environment. Pretti has been described by many as someone who was kindhearted and deeply empathetic, with his parents even stating that their last conversation with him was about how he gave a Latino repairman who worked on his home a $100 tip because of all the craziness going on in the city. He was also a known protester, having taken part in demonstrations against the deaths of George Floyd in 2020 and Renee Nicole Good earlier this month.
What Happened?
According to video accounts and New York Times, Pretti was recording an ICE agent speaking with two civilians, trying to put himself between the two parties as the agent began pushing, shoving, and pepper-spraying the group. He shielded his face from the pepper spray as he began to help one of the civilians off the ground, and was then grabbed by multiple agents who pushed him to the ground and restrained him. Agents quickly realised he had a firearm on him (which he never once reached for, brandished, or even threatened to use), which they took from him shortly before two agents reached for their own weapons and shot him at least 10 times in the span of mere seconds, retreating as he collapsed on the street, dead. But one of the most concerning parts of the video is, as he collapses, a voice is heard in the background of a popular angle of the incident, saying, “not again.” Those two simple words shook many viewers to their core, sparking the realisation of how normalised the killing of citizens by the government is.
What Was The Response?
The Department of Homeland Security spoke out not long after the incident, claiming that it began after agents were approached by a man (Pretti) with a handgun, firing “defensive shots” in an attempt to resolve the situation. Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz very quickly disputed the claims that Pretti posed a threat to the agents, saying “the most powerful people in the federal government (…) spinning stories and putting up pictures.” California congresswoman Lateefah Simon spoke out, stating that “ICE is killing American citizens. Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem have enabled a system of abuse of government power.” New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins addressed the “deeply alarming” situation by saying, “Alex Pretti is another horrific example of the federal government bringing violence and turmoil into our communities.”
What Did Agents Do Wrong?
Besides, obviously, the murder of an innocent civilian, ICE agents made several mistakes throughout the course of this incident that are arguably both unconstitutional and illegal, including (but not limited to):
- About 30 seconds before Pretti was shot, an agent can be seen violently shoving a woman to the ground ⎼ an action that many experts and officials have said was dangerous, unnecessary, and unsafe.
- As the incident began to escalate, agents can be seen quickly attempting to pepper-spray Pretti, as well as other bystanders. Agents are generally permitted to use physical force or chemical deterrents in physical altercations and arrests, but both actions by agents were completely unprovoked (bystanders were merely yelling and whistling, not physically imposing upon agents) and were unnecessary for the situation, only continuing to escalate it further.
- As officers pepper-sprayed and used physical force upon Pretti (as well as others), they were not heard giving verbal commands. Officers are trained to make commands towards whoever they are dealing with (i.e. “Hands behind your back,” “Get down on the ground”), and to give time to understand, obey, and perform the commands given by officers. Pretti was merely being thrown around and violated with no explanation or command.
- Moments after being pepper-sprayed, Pretti was tackled and dogpiled by several agents. Again, officers are trained to give verbal commands and use subduing techniques that do not cause injury. It’s been reported as well that just a week before his death, he was in another confrontation with ICE agents, who ended up breaking Pretti’s rib in the process.
- The claims made by the federal government following the incident were completely false and were not backed up by any evidence, logic, or data. Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, even went so far as to call Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” and stating that he was planning to “massacre” the ICE agents, saying he “wanted to do maximum damage.” There has been a significant amount of backlash about the fact that Pretti was carrying a gun, but he was confirmed to be a legal gun owner, and it is, in fact, legal in Minnesota to carry in public.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
Conflicts with ICE in America have been rising exponentially as of recent, with at least 3 ICE shootouts in Minneapolis in 2026, 2 of which resulted in fatalities (Pretti & Good). ICE has been seeming to be getting more and more aggressive in conflicts with citizens, with many viral videos online showing agents shoving, pepper-spraying, and even pinning down citizens who were recording conflict, protesting, or resisting against officers. With a sharp incline of over 12,000 new agents (over half of its entirety), ICE has been rapidly expanding since Trump’s induction. Training times for agents has also decreased significantly, from 16+ week programs down to 6 week programs now, according to NPR. This decrease in training time and content is shown through the violent actions of agents in recent days and lack of ability to properly and effecively manage the situations that they should be trained to handle.
What Should I Do If I Encounter ICE?
Unfortunately, as citizens, there isn’t much to be done about ICE agents, seeing as they are a federal government force, but remembering your rights and the facts of the events is extremely important in the case of encountering an ICE agent(s) or blockade.
Things to remember:
- ICE does not have the right to enter your home without a warrant.
- You have the right to refuse entry.
- Do not resist or argue with agents, this can escalate the situation.
- You have the right to remain silent; you do not need to answer any questions except showing your immigration documents if asked.
- Do not obstruct officers, it can be considered a serious federal offense.
- You are allowed to ask if you can leave and/or why you are being stopped.
- You are allowed to record agents and ask them questions.
- Nonviolent assembly & speech is not illegal; you are allowed to protest.
- Keep your documents & identification easily accessible in a safe place; do not lie or provide false documents if asked.
- You have the right to a lawyer and do not need to speak until they are present.
