On January 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had opened a civil rights investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident and ICU nurse who was fatally shot by two Border Patrol agents earlier that month. The incident, which took place in the heart of Minneapolis, has quickly become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over federal immigration enforcement tactics and civil rights in the United States.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed the launch of the FBI-led investigation at a press conference on Friday, telling reporters, “This is what I would describe as a standard investigation by the FBI. That investigation, to the extent it needs to involve lawyers at the Civil Rights Division, it will involve those.” According to POLITICO, Blanche emphasized that the Department of Justice does not automatically investigate every shooting involving a federal agent for potential civil rights violations, suggesting that certain circumstances in Pretti’s case warranted the probe.
The preliminary report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), submitted to Congress and obtained by POLITICO, revealed that Pretti was shot by two Border Patrol agents after being detained in Minneapolis on Saturday, January 24, 2026. The report stated that officers fired after discovering Pretti was carrying a weapon. However, videos of the incident surfaced showing that Pretti was not brandishing the weapon before being detained, adding fuel to the public outcry and calls for a thorough investigation.
The reaction to Pretti’s killing was swift and fierce, drawing condemnation from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. According to States Newsroom, the case has prompted rare bipartisan criticism of "Operation Metro Surge," a controversial federal operation that has resulted in numerous videos of federal agents using force against both U.S. citizens and immigrants in the Minneapolis area over the past nine weeks. The operation, initially justified as a crackdown on immigration violations, has now come under intense scrutiny for its apparent disregard for local oversight and civil rights protections.
The Department of Homeland Security’s handling of the investigation has also raised eyebrows. DHS initially blocked state investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA)—the agency that typically investigates law enforcement shootings—from accessing the scene of Pretti’s killing. The BCA was similarly excluded from a joint investigation into the earlier killing of Renee Good, another Minneapolis resident shot by a federal immigration agent on January 7, 2026. This exclusion has hindered local prosecutors’ ability to weigh possible criminal charges and has sparked resignations within the Department of Justice. According to CBS News, at least a dozen prosecutors, including former acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, have resigned in protest over the DOJ’s handling of these cases, with more resignations reportedly looming.
The contrast between the federal response to Pretti’s killing and that of Renee Good has not gone unnoticed. While the DOJ moved quickly to open a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death, it notably declined to do so in Good’s case. Instead, the agency reportedly began investigating Good and her wife’s ties to “activist groups,” according to States Newsroom. This disparity has fueled accusations of inconsistency and possible bias in the department’s approach to civil rights and accountability.
At Friday’s press conference, Blanche sought to explain the department’s selective approach: “There are thousands, unfortunately, of law enforcement events every year where somebody is shot. The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice does not investigate every one of those shootings. There has to be circumstances or facts, or maybe unknown facts, but certainly circumstances that warrant an investigation.”
Blanche was noncommittal when pressed about whether the names of the officers involved in Pretti’s shooting or the body camera footage would be released. The lack of transparency has only heightened calls from the public and lawmakers for greater accountability and oversight.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who initially labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist” following his death, later stated on January 29 that the FBI would be leading the investigation. However, she did not indicate any coordination with the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. Noem’s early rhetoric mirrored the administration’s hardline stance on immigration enforcement, but she appeared to soften her tone after reports of internal disagreements and mounting political pressure.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has continued to defend the actions of federal agents. On the morning of January 30, he took to social media to double down on the administration’s position, calling Pretti an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist” after video footage emerged showing Pretti kicking a federal vehicle and spitting at agents during a previous encounter. According to States Newsroom, Trump’s comments came just hours after he demoted Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and replaced him with border czar Tom Homan, who acknowledged, “I’m not here because the federal government has carried out its mission perfectly.”
The fallout from these events has reverberated throughout the federal law enforcement community and beyond. The resignations of DOJ prosecutors, reportedly in protest of the department’s inconsistent approach to civil rights investigations, have raised serious questions about morale and the department’s commitment to impartial justice. Local prosecutors in Minneapolis have warned that more resignations may be forthcoming if the DOJ fails to address concerns about transparency and accountability.
For the Pretti family, the focus remains on ensuring a fair and comprehensive inquiry. Steve Schleicher, an attorney for the family, said in a statement, “The family’s focus is on a fair and impartial investigation that examines the facts around his murder.” Their calls are echoed by community leaders and civil rights advocates, who have demanded that all relevant evidence, including body camera footage, be released to the public.
The decision to open a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s killing marks a significant shift from the Trump administration’s earlier handling of shootings involving federal agents, particularly during the ongoing immigration crackdown in Minnesota. According to The Washington Post, this reversal reflects mounting political and public pressure to hold federal law enforcement accountable and to ensure that civil rights are protected—even in the charged context of immigration enforcement.
As the FBI and DOJ’s Civil Rights Division continue their investigation, the eyes of Minneapolis—and the nation—remain fixed on the case. The outcome will likely have far-reaching implications, not just for the families involved, but for the broader debate over law enforcement accountability, federal power, and the protection of civil rights in America’s cities.
With tensions still running high and questions swirling about the future of federal policing, the Pretti case stands as a stark reminder of the enduring challenges facing the American justice system in 2026.