Border Agents Involved in Alex Pretti’s Fatal Shooting Placed on Administrative Leave

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has placed two agents on administrative leave following the fatal shooting of an American citizen in Minneapolis.

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was killed on Saturday, prompting protests across Minnesota and nationwide, as well as bipartisan calls from lawmakers for the removal of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary.

A preliminary DHS report to Congress stated that two officers discharged their firearms during a struggle with Pretti. Earlier official accounts suggested Pretti had brandished a gun.

CBP has not specified when the agents were placed on leave or how long they will remain off duty. The agency told media that the move followed standard protocol, which generally places federal law-enforcement officers on leave while a shooting is investigated. Previously, CBP Commander Gregory Bovino had said the officers were reassigned to another city.

New footage shared by News Movement shows Pretti in an altercation with federal agents 11 days prior to his death. The video depicts Pretti shouting at officers, gesturing aggressively, and kicking a car’s taillight, before being wrestled to the ground by agents. A gun is visible in his waistband.

Pretti’s family lawyer, Steve Schleicher, told CBS News: “A week before Alex was killed, despite posing no threat, he was violently confronted by ICE agents. Nothing from that week could justify his death on January 24.”

The ICE agent involved in the earlier shooting of Renee Good, also in Minneapolis on January 7, was placed on administrative leave pending investigation.

President Donald Trump stated his intention to “de-escalate” tensions in Minneapolis, where DHS has been conducting Operation Metro Surge since December 1. However, he clashed with Minneapolis officials, including Mayor Jacob Frey, who confirmed the city would maintain its sanctuary policies and would not enforce federal immigration laws.

Trump responded on Truth Social, warning that Frey’s stance was “a very serious violation of the Law” and “PLAYING WITH FIRE.” Representative Ilhan Omar, who has also called for federal immigration officers to leave the city, blamed Trump for a recent attack on her at a public event, in which a man allegedly squirted a substance at her. Police have charged the suspect with third-degree assault; reports suggest the syringe contained apple cider vinegar.

DHS has reported over 3,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants in Minnesota as part of Operation Metro Surge, including individuals with violent or criminal backgrounds. The operation, the largest of its kind to date, is part of Trump’s broader effort to crack down on illegal immigration, deploying DHS agents and National Guard members to multiple US cities. These actions have sparked protests and legal challenges in Democratic-led jurisdictions like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland.

A federal judge in Minneapolis recently ordered the release of all refugees detained by immigration agents while awaiting residency documents and the return of refugees removed from the state. Judge John Tunheim noted that refugees “are not committing crimes on our streets” and emphasized that the US has been “a haven of individual liberties.”

Following Pretti’s death, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem accused him of “domestic terrorism” and claimed he was armed. However, BBC Verify analysis found no evidence of a gun in Pretti’s hand. According to the DHS preliminary report, two CBP agents fired their weapons during a struggle after one shouted that Pretti had a gun—a detail that differs from earlier administration accounts, which described the shooting as defensive.

Internal ICE guidance now instructs officers in Minnesota to avoid engaging with “agitators” and to focus only on immigrants with criminal histories.

Lawmakers from both parties have called for Noem and White House immigration adviser Stephen Miller to be removed. Senior House Democrats have threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Noem unless she resigns or is dismissed. Congressional members are also considering withholding DHS funding in upcoming spending legislation, which must be passed before a potential government shutdown on February 1.