Minneapolis march marks four weeks since Alex Pretti was killed during federal immigration enforcement operation

Saturday rally planned in south Minneapolis

A march and rally is scheduled in Minneapolis on Saturday, Feb. 21, to mark four weeks since Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was shot and killed during a federal immigration enforcement operation in the city. Organizers have said the event will begin at 11 a.m. at Whittier Park and include a street march.

Pretti was killed on Jan. 24 on the 2600 block of Nicollet Avenue South. His death was the third high-profile shooting involving federal immigration personnel in Minneapolis within a three-week span, following the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good and the Jan. 14 shooting that injured Julio C. Sosa-Celis.

What is known about the investigation

The Minneapolis Police Department requested that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) investigate Pretti’s death. State investigators have said they began an independent force investigation immediately after the shooting and have continued gathering witness statements, physical evidence and video.

Federal authorities have acknowledged that body-worn camera video exists and that two federal officers fired their weapons during the encounter. Separate federal and internal reviews have been initiated within the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security.

State officials have also publicly raised concerns about access to evidence held by federal agencies. The BCA has stated that it is seeking a cooperative path forward with federal counterparts and that plans for any joint approach have not been finalized.

Organizers’ stated demands and public safety plans

The march is being organized by the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump, a group that has called for significant changes to immigration enforcement policy and accountability for the deaths of Pretti and Good.

• Calls for criminal prosecution of the agents involved in the deaths of Pretti and Good
• Requests to halt future federal funding for immigration enforcement agencies
• Demands for federal immigration enforcement personnel to leave Minnesota
• Advocacy for an eviction moratorium and broader immigration legalization measures

Organizers have said they intend to de-escalate confrontations if they arise during the event.

Broader context: Operation Metro Surge and community impact

Pretti’s death occurred during “Operation Metro Surge,” a federal deployment that substantially increased immigration enforcement resources in Minnesota in January. Federal officials have said the operation involved thousands of agents at its peak and produced thousands of arrests statewide.

In Minneapolis, the heightened enforcement activity and the shootings prompted demonstrations, vigils and calls for independent oversight. Community members and local officials have described economic and civic impacts in neighborhoods most affected by enforcement activity, while public attention has increasingly focused on how investigations are conducted when federal officers are involved.

Anyone with information related to the Jan. 24 shooting has been asked by investigators to contact the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

The BCA has said that once its investigation is completed, findings will be provided to the appropriate prosecutorial authority for review.