Immigration operations remain underway following a deadly weekend shooting in Minneapolis, as state and federal officials prepare for court hearings tied to immigration enforcement and evidence preservation on Monday.
Over the weekend, federal Border Patrol agents fatally shot a Minneapolis man, 37-year-old VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti. This is the third shooting involving federal agents this year, including the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent on Jan. 7. The latest incident comes as thousands of federal agents are in Minneapolis as part of Operation Metro Surge.
Meanwhile, multiple federal court hearings are scheduled for Monday as legal battles unfold. A federal judge is slated to hear oral arguments on Minnesota’s lawsuit seeking to stop the surge of federal immigration agents, and another hearing is set on a temporary restraining order that blocks the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” in the Alex Pretti shooting.
Find live updates on this shooting below. Watch FOX 9 live in the player above. Live events and other updates can be viewed below.
7:45 a.m. – Pres. Trump sending border czar to Minnesota
In a Truth Social post on Monday, President Donald Trump stated he is sending Tom Homan, the White House border czar, to Minnesota.
“I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight. He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there. Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me,” Trump wrote.
Trump also said a “major investigation” is underway into welfare fraud in Minnesota, which he suggests is partially responsible for the ongoing protests. In the same statement, Trump said the DOJ and Congress are looking into Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s finances, making unsubstantiated claims about her weather.
7:35 a.m. – Minnesota CEO’s joint statement
On Sunday, over 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies issued a joint statement calling for an “immediate deescalation” and a unified response from federal, state and local leaders in wake of the “widespread disruption and tragic loss of life.”
The full letter reads:
The business community in Minnesota prides itself in providing leadership and solving problems to ensure a strong and vibrant state. The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life. For the past several weeks, representatives of Minnesota’s business community have been working every day behind the scenes with federal, state and local officials to advance real solutions. These efforts have included close communication with the Governor, the White House, the Vice President and local mayors. There are ways for us to come together to foster progress.
With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.
We have been working for generations to build a strong and vibrant state here in Minnesota and will do so in the months and years ahead with equal and even greater commitment. In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future.
7:30 a.m. – Protesters target hotels
Anti-ICE protesters clash with law enforcement outside hotel in Minneapolis
A group of protesters clashed with law enforcement outside a hotel in Minneapolis, believed to be housing ICE agents. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says the State Patrol, DNR and Minneapolis Police were called to the Home 2 Suites Hotel on University Avenue in Dinkytown Sunday night, where a small group of people had broken a few windows and graffitied anti-ICE messages on the building. Federal agents deployed chemical irritants and the group cleared.
For several weeks, protesters have been targeting hotels where federal agents are believed to be staying. State officials say demonstrators damaged a hotel in Dinkytown on Sunday night, leading to a large response from law enforcement with federal agents using tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety released a statement on the incident:
“The Minnesota State Patrol and DNR were called to assist Minneapolis police with damage to hotel property at Home2 Suites Hotel on University Avenue. While they collaboratively worked to encircle the group for arrests because the demonstration was not peaceful, federal agents arrived without communication and deployed chemical irritants, clearing the group. The State Patrol and DNR are no longer on scene.”
6:45 a.m. – Federal court hearings Monday
ICE in MN: Hearing on immigration enforcement lawsuit
A federal judge will hear oral arguments in the legal battle over the escalating immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities. There is also a legal battle over the evidence in the shooting death of Alex Pretti. A federal judge in Minnesota is blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering” evidence, with a hearing scheduled on this for Monday afternoon.
The legal fight over immigration enforcement in Minnesota returns to court Monday.
A federal judge is scheduled to hear oral arguments at 9 a.m. Monday in a lawsuit filed by the State of Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul, which seeks to stop the surge of ICE agents in the state. The lawsuit is calling the ICE operations in Minnesota illegal, while the DOJ has called the lawsuit frivolous.
In a separate case, there is a legal battle over evidence in the shooting death of Alex Pretti. A federal judge in Minnesota blocked the Trump administration from “destroying or altering” evidence.
What’s next for ICE in Minnesota?
David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University, explains what’s next for ICE operations in Minnesota as legal battles over immigration enforcement in the state and preserving evidence in the Alex Pretti shooting continue.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says federal officers initially blocked their investigators from the shooting scene. Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a motion Saturday night asking the court for a restraining order to preserve evidence collected by federal officers.
The judge swiftly granted the motion and BCA agents were able to access the scene Sunday morning, roughly 24 hours after the shooting.
A hearing in the case is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday.
