The U.S. Justice Department has started a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, a senior official said on Friday (January 30, 2026).
The Department’s investigation could potentially lead to criminal charges against the officers involved, though there is a high legal bar to bring such a case.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the FBI was examining Saturday’s (January 24, 2026) shooting with potential assistance from the Department’s Civil Rights Division, which typically plays a leading role in investigations into use of force by law enforcement. He cautioned the review was preliminary and he downplayed its scope.
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“This is what I would describe as a standard investigation by the FBI when there’s circumstances like what we saw last Saturday [January 24,2026],” Mr. Blanche said at a news conference.
