Two immigration agents involved in Alex Pretti’s fatal shooting placed on leave – Firstpost

Two federal immigration agents who were involved in the fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave, officials said Wednesday as the incident fuels national outrage and political debate.

A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the two officers are on leave, noting that such a step is routine following officer-involved shootings while investigations proceed, AFP reported.

The decision came after intensive care unit nurse Alex Pretti, 37 was shot multiple times on Saturday during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis. Video footage captured a confrontation between Pretti and several camouflaged officers before the shooting.

Pretti’s death marked the second fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis within weeks, following the killing of another protester, Renee Good, earlier in January. The back-to-back incidents have ignited widespread and bipartisan criticism of immigration enforcement tactics and sparked protests in Minnesota and across the United States.

Federal authorities are now reviewing the circumstances of the encounter, including body-worn camera footage and other evidence, as part of standard investigative procedures. Additional scrutiny has been directed at the broader immigration enforcement strategy, which has drawn intense political scrutiny and legal challenges.

The department’s move to place the agents on leave coincides with mounting pressure on the federal government to provide a transparent account of the events that led to Pretti’s death and to address concerns over the use of force in domestic immigration operations.

Trump has called for an “honourable and honest investigation” into Pretti’s death and suggested he would “de-escalate a little bit” the administration’s immigration crackdown in the city in the northern state of Minnesota.

Stephen Miller – a powerful figure who leads Trump’s hardline immigration policy – told AFP Tuesday that the agents may have breached “protocol” before the shooting.

The White House later said Miller was referring to “general guidance” to immigration agents operating in Minnesota, not the specific incident involving Pretti.

Meanwhile, Democratic senators are narrowing a list of demands for changes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with a partial government shutdown looming by week’s end, hoping to pressure Republicans and the White House as the country reels from the deaths of two people at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.

Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has not yet outlined what his caucus will ask for before a crucial Thursday vote on whether to move forward with spending legislation that funds the Department of Homeland Security and a swath of other government agencies. Democrats were to meet Wednesday and discuss several possible demands, including forcing agents to have warrants and identify themselves before immigration arrests, and they have pledged to block the spending bill in response to the violence.

“This madness, this terror must stop,” Schumer D-N.Y., said, calling for immediate changes to ICE and U.S. Border Patrol.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has said he is waiting for Democrats to outline their what they want and he suggested that they need to be talking to the White House.

It was unclear how seriously the White House was engaged and whether the two sides could agree on anything that would appease Democrats who are irate after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti and Renee Good this month.

With no evident negotiations underway, a partial shutdown appeared increasingly likely starting Saturday.

With inputs from agencies