MN - One dead after Minneapolis shooting involving immigration agents, US media report, January 24, 2026

[brazgal]

Where did the term "trained agitators" come from?

It sounds like a translation. "Agitator" has been used for so long in the context of washing machines, that i can't imagine it entering an English-based language in the new meaning.

"Professional agitators" is a term that existed in Russia during the revolution.

Perhaps some other languages have it? Where did it come from?

It comes from the President himself:
The president posted on Truth Social that he would use the law if Minnesota officials failed to stop the "professional agitators and ...

Trump threatens to invoke Insurrection Act to quell anti-ICE protests in Minnesota

The rarely used law allows the president to use active-duty military personnel for law enforcement.

www.bbc.com

 

[Strangeworld]

If that's the case, do you also consider the woman whom Alex was assisting to be lucky to have walked away with her life?
How would you know if she was carrying a firearm?

IMO,
The act of shoving the female, causing her to fall backward to the ground was a disgraceful display of someone attempting to uphold "law and order". Appalling. Alex was acting like any decent human would have.

I agree. And pushing someone backwards with that level of force can risk their death if their head hits the ground. I've always been shocked when LE push anyone in this manner because the risk of a head injury or neck injury is real.

 

[Snoopster]

As an American, I can say it’s sad to see it happening from the inside too.

We are here for you @Summerliz03 . I'm so sorry that you are having to deal with this.

 

[JennieM]

Trump abandons attack mode as Minneapolis shooting backlash grows​

The Trump administration has quickly abandoned its familiar "deny and attack" playbook after initially using it when federal agents shot dead Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday morning.

[…]

The initial administration response to Pretti's death was straightforward. The 37-year-old was portrayed as a domestic terrorist bent on bloodshed.

[…]

As with Good's case, the federal government's version of events has been challenged by local officials, eyewitnesses and the victim's family.

[…]

This time around, the administration's initial response quickly had become difficult for the administration to maintain.

Trump abandons attack mode as Minneapolis shooting backlash grows

The White House has shifted how it talks about Alex Pretti's killing as more Republicans express concern over the deadly encounter.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[SouthAussie]

Agree...but still not sad to see him go.

But who will they replace him with? Someone who hates humanity even worse?

Whoever Bovino's replacement may be, Tom Homan will likely be sure that it is someone who will be better at the "messaging".
I will let others read for themselves what he thinks the messaging should be (in the article).


White House Border Czar Tom Homan said the unpopularity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is due to a “messaging” problem.

Homan appeared on Thursday’s edition of The Ingraham Angle on Fox News, where the host cited polls showing ICE with lackluster support among the American people.

By a margin of 51% to 31%, Americans say ICE’s actions are making cities less safe rather than safer.

Tom Homan Says ICE Is Unpopular Because ‘We Need to Be Better at Messaging’

White House Border Czar Tom Homan said the unpopularity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is due to a "messaging" problem.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Charlot123]

"Peaceful Protest", Yes. Bringing a gun to a "Peaceful Protest'. No.

Come on! Renee Good didn't have a gun, just toys in her car. She was shot in the face and accused of "weaponizing" the car.

Alex Pretty was returning from a shift. He was carrying a concealed weapon which is legal according to the laws of his state.

He didn't attack anyone, he just helped a woman who was shoved down. And he got killed. On the streets of own city - not by some robbers or gangsters. By the border patrol.
Enough is enough.

The article doesn’t say that he financed any anti Israeli groups. There are several groups involved in the anti-ICE protests, not all funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundations. Indivisible Twin Cities is separate from the Council on American-Islamic Relations. imo

From the link -
In addition to Indivisible Twin Cities — which does not identify its leaders on its website — other protest leaders include the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an anti-Israel group whose Minnesota chapter’s executive director Jaylani Hussein has rallied against ICE at protests.

So let us find out who he gave the money to, as they state.

- leftists that are against Israeli/Gaza situation?

- or Council on American-Islamic Relations, that is, first, a religious group and then, by default, maybe an anti-Israeli, but who is now protesting not against Israel but against ICE being present in Minnesota? Because ICE is targeting Muslim residents of Minnesota?

- or was it some local Jewish group who is not happy with ICE being present in their state, either?

I think that it is simple. If we take a cut of the population of Minnesota, we'll find everyone there. And Minneapolis, its biggest city, is more democratic. So you'll find everyone residing there.

Peaceful protests need money, food, coffee, so yes, many organizations may support them to be able to take time off work.

But it is not George Soros giving money to the extreme leftists or Muslims.

It is the inhabitants of Minneapolis, the biggest city of the state, protesting against uninvited presence of ICE in Minnesota, resulting in two peaceful 37-year-old American citizens being killed.

 

[Amonet]

Trump AGREES to pull ICE agents out of Minnesota, governor says

Donald Trump has agreed to pull ICE agents out of Minnesota and allow local police to investigate the shooting of a protester by federal agents, Governor Tim Walz has said.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Vermont Governor Phil Scott joined a growing number of GOP lawmakers outraged by the shooting of Pretti.

'At best, these federal immigration operations are a complete failure of coordination of acceptable public safety and law enforcement practices, training, and leadership,' the Republican wrote on X.

'At worst, it's a deliberate federal intimidation and incitement of American citizens that's resulting in the murder of Americans. Again, enough is enough.'

Senator Pete Ricketts, a close ally of the President, called for a 'prioritized, transparent investigation.'

'My support for funding ICE remains the same,' the Nebraska Republican, who is up for reelection, said online. 'But we must also maintain our core values as a nation, including the right to protest and assemble.

IMO it seems the polling numbers/ protesting/mounting R backlash etc have convinced T to do an about face in Minnesota but of course claim victory. I think too little too late - the damage has been done on an domestic and international stage.

Re the bolded sentence...this is the sort of thing I'd normally consider a comment only made by conspiracy theorists or people who are in the panic moments of the immediate aftermath of a shocking event. Extreme things can be said by anyone in the heat of the moment and they should be understood in context.

Which party does Vermont Governor Phill Scott represent?

The problem here is that a lot of people will be fearing that the worst case hypothesised there is exactly what's behind what's happening. If that statement came from a Democrat I would say they need to calm down and people hearing a sentence like that need to calm down and take time to assess and reassess before seriously considering that a democratically elected government of the USA could want to engineer such a thing. With the language that's been flying around from the POTUS and others, it makes it a lot harder to convince people that that couldn't happen and is not happening. In my opinion this is one reason why politicians need to avoid such rhetoric and why, when responding to current events, they need to be cautious in their statements until full assessment and facts come in and not just assume it's what they expect happened (often this would be to assume something is terrorism related or what kind of person (race/religion/political affiliation) did something that has resulted in death. I think we all need to try to do that, but politicians especially need the ability and will to do that.

 

[georgiajean]

In my opinion, the actions of the agents who killed Alex Pretti show they:
1. Did not view him or the two women as human beings. They were "the enemy." They had been dehumanized by the rhetoric from the administration and DHS leadership.
2. Were taking their anger out on the two women and then Pretti. Like a pack of dogs that is thwarted in taking down a victim, they turn on the next available target. They were enraged that the Donut shop locked them out, and viewed anyone who was in the area protesting as the problem.
3. Were so narrow minded and focused on the two women and Pretti being what was wrong, as did the agents who killed Renee Good. She was in their way, she had been on their nerves for a good bit of time (20 minutes, perhaps?). Alex and the two women were the reason they didn't get their target, in their view.

In my opinion, the actions of Alex Pretti show he:
1. Wanted to witness the Agents' actions and record them.
2. Did not want to stand down or give the agents an inch, as some photos show him not flinching as an agent stood close enough to see his nose hairs, staring Alex down.
3. Automatically stepped toward the women to help and protect them. I imagine that it was not possible for him NOT to help them.
4. Never expected to die. Like Renee, thought the constitution still protected him.

 

[Sundog]

Whoever Bovino's replacement may be, Tom Homan will likely be sure that it is someone who will be better at the "messaging".
I will let others read for themselves what he thinks the messaging should be (in the article).


White House Border Czar Tom Homan said the unpopularity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is due to a “messaging” problem.

Homan appeared on Thursday’s edition of The Ingraham Angle on Fox News, where the host cited polls showing ICE with lackluster support among the American people.

By a margin of 51% to 31%, Americans say ICE’s actions are making cities less safe rather than safer.

Tom Homan Says ICE Is Unpopular Because ‘We Need to Be Better at Messaging’

White House Border Czar Tom Homan said the unpopularity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is due to a "messaging" problem.

www.yahoo.com

Tom Homan has been highly effective as a member of both the Obama and Trump administrations with regard to immigration enforcement. In 2015, he received Obama's Presidential Rank Award, the highest civil service honor in the U.S. for his immigration enforcement and deportation achievements as Obama's ICE chief. Beyond messaging, he gets things done.

 

[Sundog]

Alex Pretty was returning from a shift. He was carrying a concealed weapon which is legal according to the laws of his state.

SBM

I doubt he was returning from a shift at a veteran's hospital, as I don't think you can conceal carry a weapon in a federal hospital. He would have had to leave it in his car or somewhere else while at work, I would think. Perhaps an attorney can shed light on this.

 

[SouthAussie]

Tom Homan has been highly effective as a member of both the Obama and Trump administrations with regard to immigration enforcement. In 2015, he received Obama's Presidential Rank Award, the highest civil service honor in the U.S. for his immigration enforcement and deportation achievements as Obama's ICE chief. Beyond messaging, he gets things done.

Yes, I am aware of his history.

Let's hope he can change things up enough to restore peace to Minneapolis. He likely hasn't yet had to deal with anything that has received so much push-back from so many.

imo

 

[Sundog]

Yes, I am aware of his history.

Let's hope he can change things up enough to restore peace to Minneapolis. He likely hasn't yet had to deal with anything that has received so much push-back from so many.

imo

If Walz and Frey go forward as partners in good faith, I am sure he can work with the federal agents to successfully continue their mission.

 

[Inthedetails]

Minnesota Department of Corrections press release dated Jan 26, 2026

The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) is releasing new evidence demonstrating that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to publish false Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “arrest” claims in press releases and on their website by mischaracterizing routine custody transfers from Minnesota state prisons. DHS’s “Worst of the Worst” (WOW) website, wow.dhs.gov/Minnesota, allows users to search by state and city for “criminal illegal aliens that have been removed from their state.”

DOC quickly identified 68 cases in which individuals were lawfully transferred from Minnesota Department of Corrections custody directly to ICE, only for DHS officials to falsely claim these same individuals were “arrested” by waves of federal agents deployed into Minnesota communities.

DHS is justifying an unprecedented federal deployment into Minnesota communities based on the demonstrably false narrative that Minnesota refuses to honor ICE detainers. Minnesota DOC honors ICE detainers and coordinates custody transfers every day. Those transfers are documented, scheduled, and verifiable. What is troubling is DHS taking credit for “arrests” which are, in reality, state-to-federal handoffs occurring at prison facilities after individuals complete their state terms of imprisonment, as has been the long-standing practice.

Again, DOC is compelled to release this information because DHS continues to rely on these misrepresentations to justify expanded federal operations in Minnesota.

more at the link:

Minnesota Department of Corrections Releases New Evidence Showing DHS Is Publishing False Arrest Claims at Scale

The Minnesota Department of Corrections released evidence showing that DHS has repeatedly and falsely claimed routine, lawful state-to-federal custody transfers as ICE “arrests” to justify expanded federal enforcement in Minnesota, identifying at least 68 misrepresented cases to date.

mn.gov

 

[Muddy K]

I feel like the US has morphed into an alternate and very gloomy reality and its so sad to watch from the outside

...and so sad to live from the inside.

 

[SouthAussie]

Following the hearing, the judge ordered the Trump administration to respond to the state's argument that the operation was created to "punish" Minnesota for its immigration sanctuary laws.

In the order, Judge Menendez asked the federal government to address the state's claim that the operation was put in place to punish the state for adopting sanctuary laws and policies; to coerce officials into changing state and local laws; to compel the state to use its resources to share information with federal immigration enforcement; and to force local authorities to use more resources to hold immigration enforcement targets in detention for longer than otherwise allowed.

The judge ordered the government to file the supplemental brief by Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET.

Judge orders Trump administration to address motives behind ICE's Minnesota operation

A judge ordered the administration to address the motives behind ICE's immigration enforcement effort in Minnesota as the state seeks a temporary halt to the operation.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Sundog]

Anyone ever read The Diary of Anne Frank?

US Holocaust Museum responds after Tim Walz invokes Anne Frank's name, calls exploiting Holocaust 'deeply offensive'​

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum posted on social media in response to Walz's comments, "Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish. Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable. Despite tensions in Minneapolis, exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges."

MSN

 

[Amonet]

In my opinion, the actions of the agents who killed Alex Pretti show they:
1. Did not view him or the two women as human beings. They were "the enemy." They had been dehumanized by the rhetoric from the administration and DHS leadership.
2. Were taking their anger out on the two women and then Pretti. Like a pack of dogs that is thwarted in taking down a victim, they turn on the next available target. They were enraged that the Donut shop locked them out, and viewed anyone who was in the area protesting as the problem.
3. Were so narrow minded and focused on the two women and Pretti being what was wrong, as did the agents who killed Renee Good. She was in their way, she had been on their nerves for a good bit of time (20 minutes, perhaps?). Alex and the two women were the reason they didn't get their target, in their view.

In my opinion, the actions of Alex Pretti show he:
1. Wanted to witness the Agents' actions and record them.
2. Did not want to stand down or give the agents an inch, as some photos show him not flinching as an agent stood close enough to see his nose hairs, staring Alex down.
3. Automatically stepped toward the women to help and protect them. I imagine that it was not possible for him NOT to help them.
4. Never expected to die. Like Renee, thought the constitution still protected him.

When I look at the footage I see a man go to help a woman who's been shoved. I then see him pepper sprayed, beaten up and shot to death.

But some people are seeing people getting in the way of LE trying to apprehend violent criminals. That is what the job of ICE is supposed to be, isn't it?

Could we all try and step back and realise that neither of these two perspectives is 100% incorrect, and that people seeing it from the other side are not bad people?

 

[SouthAussie]

If Walz and Frey go forward as partners in good faith, I am sure he can work with the federal agents to successfully continue their mission.

I think it is the people of Minneapolis that they need to appease. The ones who are witnessing and experiencing Metro Surge, the ones who have had two of their fellow American citizens killed by ICE.

It is most likely that ICE will need to change their tactics (not just their messaging) if they truly want peace in Minneapolis.

imo

 

[Strangeworld]

When I look at the footage I see a man go to help a woman who's been shoved. I then see him pepper sprayed, beaten up and shot to death.

But some people are seeing people getting in the way of LE trying to apprehend violent criminals. That is what the job of ICE is supposed to be, isn't it?

Could we all try and step back and realise that neither of these two perspectives is 100% incorrect, and that people seeing it from the other side are not bad people?

I get what you are saying, but I just can't see anything in the videos available that shows Alex getting in the way of ICE. Does anyone have footage that shows this? He was present when they went to the donut shop, but at what point did he step between them and their job? And when he went to help the woman pushed down, he still wasn't getting in the way of their operation. ICE pushed her to the ground, unless I'm mistaken there wouldn't have been any further need for ICE to interact with her therefore how was Alex interfering?

What I do see is ICE overreaching time and time again to interact with protesters and citizens that they have no business doing. IMO these interactions are because the ICE agents want to push their weight around, try to command authority and create fear. Their frustrations IMO clearly stem more from just their job title.

 

[branmuffin]

My opinion. During the tussle, an agent removed his firearm, upon bringing it up and away from those present, for some reason it discharged. That Sig is known for accidental discharge, or the agent accidentally fired the weapon in the heat of the moment. That negligent discharge is part of what started the rest of the shooting.

Also, it's possible when the agent disarmed the man, in the chaos, another agent saw the weapon and not realizing who held it, yelled "gun". That, in conjunction with the negligent discharge, set the ball rolling.

My opinion. Had the armed man not inserted himself in to the situation he'd be alive today.

Please explain to me how a man who had his back to ICE agents while he was helping two women who had been pushed to the ground and pepper sprayed by ICE, inserted himself into the situation. The 'situation' as you call it only occurred when the agents gang piled on him hitting him repeatedly on the head with a gas cannister and grappling with him while he was protecting himself from the blows. During that melee an ICE agent saw his weapon and removed it. In seconds he was dead. He didn't insert himself in anything other than trying to be a good human. Perhaps you're not familiar with the concept. I have a question about authority and who can use it and who must comply. It's a tricky question because authority can either be used as a cudgel to coerce and control or a staff to govern and protect all. What do you see in the attachment? No one stood up for these people when those in authority came for them.