Political figures have spoken out following the shooting of a 37-year-old ICU nurse after an interaction with ICE agents in Minneapolis.
Pressure appears to be mounting on the Trump administration after another American civilian has been shot and killed by a federal immigration agent.
This comes after the fatal shooting of mom-of-three Renee Good earlier this month, who was trying to 'support her neighbors' as ICE agents attempted to carry out raids.
Videos have begun to circulate on social media showing the moment that 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot and killed after being tackled to the ground by multiple agents in the street.
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Pretti was seen filming federal agents as they carried out a 'targeted' immigration enforcement operation, despite there being claims he was holding a '9mm semi-automatic' handgun.
This has resulted in backlash from gun advocates groups, like the NRA, who have argued that Pretti being legally in possession of a gun did not justify him being shot.
On January 25, former POTUS Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama released a statement regarding the shooting and insisted that, regardless of party, this event should be a wake up call for America.
The message read, in part: “Federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a tough job. But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a lawful, accountable way, and to work with, rather than against, state and local officials to ensure public safety.
“That's not what we're seeing in Minnesota. In fact, we're seeing the opposite.
"For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city."
In his statement, Obama also encouraged people to continue to peacefully protests in Minneapolis and in other parts of the country.
He insisted that it is ‘ultimately up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice’ and ultimately hold the government accountable.
Former president Bill Clinton has also issued a statement on X, insisting that the next few decisions we make in America will massively impact the years to come in the country.
In part, his statement read: “Peaceful protesters and citizens exercising their constitutional right to observe and document law enforcement have been arrested, beaten, teargassed, and most searingly, in the cases of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, shot and killed.
“All of this is unacceptable and should have been avoided.
"To make matters even worse, at every turn, the people in charge have lied to us, told us not to believe what we’ve seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics, including impeding investigations by local authorities.”
Topics: News, US News, Barack Obama
Gerrard Kaonga