The Trump administration moved quickly to portray Alex Pretti as a grave threat to law enforcement after the 37-year-old intensive care nurse was shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller both described Pretti as a domestic terrorist within hours of his death on Jan. 24, and the Department of Homeland Security released a statement that day saying it appeared Pretti "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."
Yet, as uproar over the shooting grew, videos of the incident spread and the administration's narrative unraveled, the White House changed course and adopted a more conciliatory approach. Videos showed that Pretti never brandished the gun he was carrying, which he was licensed to have. In the videos, Pretti can be seen holding a cell phone in one hand, his other hand empty, during an immigration enforcement operation that attracted protesters.
Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties quickly began to speak out. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, called the situation in Minnesota "incredibly disturbing" in a social media post on the evening of Pretti’s death. The next day, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, joined Cassidy in calling for "a thorough and impartial investigation" and Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, suggested focusing immigration enforcement on other cities, calling Minneapolis a bad situation that’s "only going to get worse."
