Minnesota AG denounces federal narrative after Minneapolis shooting by immigration agents

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sharply criticized the Trump administration’s public framing of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis man killed during an encounter with federal immigration agents. Ellison said senior officials were wrong to rush out statements defending agents and blaming the victim before investigations could establish a clear record.

The Department of Homeland Security said agents were conducting a “targeted operation” when Pretti allegedly approached officers with a 9mm handgun and violently resisted efforts to disarm him. Ellison, speaking to The Washington Post, argued that the administration’s characterization of events was inconsistent with what could be observed in bystander footage and other available information.

A Post review of video from multiple angles suggested an agent retrieved a holstered handgun that Pretti was carrying before he was shot multiple times. Ellison said that if the sequence is accurate, it raises critical questions about the immediacy of any threat at the moment lethal force was used, and it underscores why investigators should avoid politically charged conclusions.

The case unfolds amid heightened tensions in Minnesota after another fatality connected to immigration enforcement earlier in January. Ellison said his office is preparing legal arguments aimed at restricting or ending the large deployment of immigration agents in the state, which he described as unprecedented in U.S. history.

Ellison’s criticism also carries potential legal significance. He noted that prosecutors and investigators may ultimately be asked to evaluate agent conduct and any criminal exposure, and he warned that senior federal officials should not behave as though the outcome is predetermined. The next steps are expected to play out through court filings, evidence preservation, and parallel federal and local inquiries.