Trump Says Government will ‘Calm Tensions’ in Minnesota After Pretti Shooting

President Donald Trump said his administration plans to “de-escalate a little bit” in Minnesota following the second fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by federal immigration officers in the state.

“Bottom line, it was terrible. Both of them were terrible,” Trump said in a Fox News interview on Tuesday.

In early January, Renee Good was fatally shot by an immigration officer. Over the past weekend, Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse at a veterans’ hospital, was also killed during a stop by border agents.

Pretti’s death sparked renewed protests locally and widespread public criticism, including from lawmakers across party lines. Trump’s comments indicate the administration is scaling back some of its operations in Minnesota. Speaking to reporters ahead of a rally in Iowa, he described Pretti’s death as “a very unfortunate incident.”

When asked about reports labeling Pretti a “domestic terrorist,” Trump said, “I haven’t heard that,” while adding, “He shouldn’t have been carrying a gun.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem previously stated that Pretti “wasn’t there to peacefully protest” and accused him of “domestic terrorism,” claiming he was shot while brandishing a firearm. However, eyewitnesses and local officials have disputed that account, saying Pretti had a phone in his hand, not a weapon. Authorities also noted that the gun was legally registered and that Pretti was shot after the firearm was removed.

A preliminary Customs and Border Protection report also appears to contradict the DHS account, stating only that two agents fired their weapons, without mentioning that Pretti reached for a firearm.

Following the shooting, DHS removed the leader of the Minnesota mission, Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, and deployed White House border tsar Tom Homan to oversee operations. Homan met with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and local law enforcement officials.

Pretti’s death, coming two weeks after Renee Good was shot, reignited local anger and led to calls from state and city officials for the Trump administration to withdraw the 3,000 immigration agents stationed in the region.

In the Fox News interview, Trump defended the Minnesota operation, saying it had removed “thousands of hardened criminals” and that crime numbers were improving. He added, “That’s all working out, we have Tom Homan there now,” before reiterating that the administration would “de-escalate.”

White House aide Stephen Miller told CNN that DHS personnel deployed for Minnesota were instructed to focus on fugitive operations and maintain a buffer between arrest teams and protesters. Miller said the administration is reviewing why the Customs and Border Patrol team may not have fully followed the protocol.

Several Republican leaders, including Vermont Governor Phil Scott and Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, have called for an investigation into Pretti’s death. A federal judge has blocked DHS from destroying or altering evidence related to the incident.

At his Iowa rally, Trump did not address Minnesota in detail but highlighted his broader immigration crackdown, citing a December Harvard Harris poll indicating that 80% of Americans support efforts to deport undocumented immigrants with criminal records.