Federal Immigration Raids In Minneapolis Spark National Outcry

In the heart of Minneapolis, two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents have thrust the city—and the nation—into a heated debate over the reach and tactics of U.S. immigration enforcement. On January 24, 2026, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was killed by Border Patrol agents while assisting a woman at a protest. Just over two weeks earlier, on January 7, Renee Good, a poet and mother also aged 37, was shot three times, including a fatal shot to the head, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Both incidents have drawn national scrutiny, raising urgent questions about federal agents’ conduct, training, and the expanding web of immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.

According to EL PAÍS and Reuters, the two agencies involved—ICE and the Border Patrol—are both housed under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), yet they have traditionally operated with different mandates. ICE, established in 2002 after the September 11 attacks, is charged with enforcing immigration laws inside the country. It grew out of the merger of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. Customs Service. Border Patrol, on the other hand, is a century-old agency within Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that historically patrolled U.S. borders, operating within a 100-mile radius of land and coastal boundaries.

But under the current Republican administration, these lines have blurred. The Trump administration’s intensified focus on immigration has led to unprecedented overlap in the roles of ICE and Border Patrol, with both agencies now collaborating on large-scale operations in cities far from the border. In fact, the deployment of Border Patrol agents to Minneapolis—a city well outside the traditional 100-mile operational zone—underscores this shift. As EL PAÍS notes, the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act grants DHS agencies the authority to question and arrest individuals suspected of violating immigration law anywhere in the country, not just near the border.

The recent shootings have fueled outrage and fear, particularly as both Pretti and Good were U.S. citizens. The details are chilling: Pretti was beaten by six officers as they tried to subdue him before he was fatally shot. Good, meanwhile, was killed as she attempted to flee an ICE agent. The government maintains that Officer Jonathan Ross shot Good because she tried to run him over, but witness and bodycam footage reportedly show her attempting to escape, unarmed, when she was killed. These incidents have prompted widespread protests and calls for accountability, with critics arguing that federal agents are using excessive force—often against unarmed civilians.

Identification of federal agents on the ground has become increasingly difficult. Many ICE and Border Patrol officers wear masks, plain clothes, or uniforms bearing ambiguous labels like "Police," "Federal Agent," "ERO," or "HSI." Some drive unmarked SUVs with tinted windows, making them virtually indistinguishable from ordinary citizens until an arrest is underway. According to Reuters, even seasoned observers often struggle to tell which agency is which, especially as agents from the DEA and FBI have also joined immigration enforcement efforts in recent years.

ICE itself is a sprawling agency with multiple divisions. Its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) branch is the public face of immigration enforcement, responsible for detaining and deporting immigrants who violate U.S. law. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) focuses on broader criminal cases, including human trafficking and cybercrime, and sometimes supports non-immigration security operations, such as at the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. However, reports indicate that HSI agents have increasingly been reassigned to immigration arrests, further muddying the agency’s internal boundaries.

ICE’s reach and resources have grown dramatically under Trump. In July 2025, Congress approved a record-breaking budget for the agency as part of a broader tax reform package. The funding, exceeding $100 billion through 2029, includes $30 billion for hiring and $45 billion for expanding the network of over 200 detention centers nationwide. The agency’s staff has more than doubled, now numbering 22,000 officers. Yet the rapid expansion has come with trade-offs: the training period for new agents has been cut in half to eight weeks, Spanish language and firearms training have been reduced, and most ICE agents receive little to no specialized instruction in crowd control or protest management.

The consequences have been dire. ICE detention centers recorded 32 deaths in 2025—the highest in two decades—and at least six migrants have died in custody so far in 2026. Reports of abuse and substandard conditions in these facilities abound, fueling further criticism and calls for reform. The agency’s aggressive tactics have also spilled onto the streets, with ICE agents accused of using tear gas and pepper spray against protesters in violation of court orders.

Border Patrol’s expansion into urban centers like Minneapolis is equally controversial. Historically limited to border regions, the agency now participates in joint operations with ICE across the country. Yet, as former Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske told public radio, Border Patrol agents are "not adequately trained to operate in urban areas." This lack of preparation may help explain the tragic outcome in the Pretti case, which ultimately led to the removal of Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino from Minnesota following the incident.

At the federal level, the Department of Homeland Security—currently led by Secretary Kristi Noem—oversees all these agencies. The Trump administration’s aggressive stance on immigration has resulted in a “whole-of-government” approach, with expanded powers for ICE and Border Patrol, increased collaboration with state and local law enforcement, and the revival of controversial practices such as arrests inside federal immigration courts.

For many Americans, the patchwork of federal agencies and their overlapping jurisdictions is confusing, if not alarming. As Reuters observes, the surge in federal immigration enforcement has led to calls to "abolish ICE" and demands for greater transparency. Meanwhile, supporters of the administration argue that these measures are necessary to uphold the rule of law and fulfill campaign promises of record deportations. Critics, however, counter that the cost—in both human lives and civil liberties—has become too high.

As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good have forced a national reckoning with the realities of immigration enforcement in America’s cities. With more funding, more agents, and a broader mandate than ever before, ICE and Border Patrol are likely to remain at the center of controversy—and heartbreak—for the foreseeable future.