Federal Force in Minneapolis: Trump’s Law-and-Order Push Sparks Fatal Clashes

Paul Riverbank, 1/25/2026Fatal clashes and protests erupt as federal immigration crackdowns fuel outrage and conflicting narratives.

Saturday’s shooting has left the community raw. Alex Pretti, who worked as a nurse and kept his gun legally, ended up on the wrong end of a government firearm. What actually unfolded between Pretti and Border Patrol agents has become a matter of heavy dispute. Federal officials offered a familiar story: Pretti had resisted and needed to be disarmed, they claimed. For many in Minneapolis, these words hold little comfort. Video from bystanders paints a different, unsettling picture — one where law enforcement appears to escalate. As the footage rolls, Pretti is shown recording officers with his phone; there is confusion, pepper spray, a scuffle, then gunshots. No weapon is visible in his hands at the time.

Pretti’s death comes on the heels of another disputed incident. Just a few days earlier, Renee Good — a name few outside this city likely knew before — was shot and killed by ICE officer Jonathan Ross. Secretary Kristi Noem lost no time labeling Good a “domestic terrorist.” Yet, public evidence remains thin; widely circulated footage instead depicts an agent firing into Good’s vehicle while it rolls past, a far cry from the narrative of a car used as a weapon.

The toll is mounting. Portland recently saw two Venezuelan migrants shot during what authorities called a “targeted stop.” In Minneapolis, another man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, was wounded by ICE. Official statements described a dramatic confrontation: men wielding a shovel and a broom. But an FBI affidavit quietly contradicted this account, suggesting agents acted on a misidentification and tension spiraled out of hand.

These are not isolated events. Since 2026 began, deaths have accumulated not just on city streets but within detention facilities. Six immigrants have died in ICE custody this year — following a grim 2025, which saw a two-decade record of 30 deaths. The passing of Geraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban detainee, has become a flashpoint. Early ICE statements pointed to medical issues; subsequent updates referenced suicide and struggling with officers. Only after a medical examiner’s ruling — homicide by asphyxia, brought on by neck and chest compression — did the official story shift again.

Other recent detention deaths, including two on the same day in Texas and Georgia, are, at the time of writing, still under investigation. Early ICE reports say at least one may have been suicide, but advocates and family members call for more answers.

Some numbers, though, speak for themselves. With the president pushing ICE’s budget into the stratosphere — $170 billion approved through 2029 — more than 69,000 people are now held in government custody. Nearly half of them, federal figures reveal, have no criminal charges or convictions against their names.

As enforcement expands, so does the divide. Protesters continue to fill the streets, braving freezing winds in search of explanations and justice for their friends and neighbors. Officials, meanwhile, hold to the line that force is necessary to protect public safety. For families and communities caught in the middle, closure remains elusive. Each new incident stirs up a familiar cycle: public outcry, official statements, and a sense that the real story is still just out of reach.

— Paul Riverbank

The cold streets of Minneapolis look different lately. Once, winter kept crowds indoors. But this January, the city is restless. Clusters of people — bundled tightly against the wind — have kept coming out in force, rallying for change. They are not alone: nearly 3,000 federal agents now move through Minneapolis, part of a broader crackdown as the Trump administration digs in on immigration.Saturday’s shooting has left the community raw. Alex Pretti, who worked as a nurse and kept his gun legally, ended up on the wrong end of a government firearm. What actually unfolded between Pretti and Border Patrol agents has become a matter of heavy dispute. Federal officials offered a familiar story: Pretti had resisted and needed to be disarmed, they claimed. For many in Minneapolis, these words hold little comfort. Video from bystanders paints a different, unsettling picture — one where law enforcement appears to escalate. As the footage rolls, Pretti is shown recording officers with his phone; there is confusion, pepper spray, a scuffle, then gunshots. No weapon is visible in his hands at the time.Pretti’s death comes on the heels of another disputed incident. Just a few days earlier, Renee Good — a name few outside this city likely knew before — was shot and killed by ICE officer Jonathan Ross. Secretary Kristi Noem lost no time labeling Good a “domestic terrorist.” Yet, public evidence remains thin; widely circulated footage instead depicts an agent firing into Good’s vehicle while it rolls past, a far cry from the narrative of a car used as a weapon.The toll is mounting. Portland recently saw two Venezuelan migrants shot during what authorities called a “targeted stop.” In Minneapolis, another man, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, was wounded by ICE. Official statements described a dramatic confrontation: men wielding a shovel and a broom. But an FBI affidavit quietly contradicted this account, suggesting agents acted on a misidentification and tension spiraled out of hand.These are not isolated events. Since 2026 began, deaths have accumulated not just on city streets but within detention facilities. Six immigrants have died in ICE custody this year — following a grim 2025, which saw a two-decade record of 30 deaths. The passing of Geraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban detainee, has become a flashpoint. Early ICE statements pointed to medical issues; subsequent updates referenced suicide and struggling with officers. Only after a medical examiner’s ruling — homicide by asphyxia, brought on by neck and chest compression — did the official story shift again.Other recent detention deaths, including two on the same day in Texas and Georgia, are, at the time of writing, still under investigation. Early ICE reports say at least one may have been suicide, but advocates and family members call for more answers.Some numbers, though, speak for themselves. With the president pushing ICE’s budget into the stratosphere — $170 billion approved through 2029 — more than 69,000 people are now held in government custody. Nearly half of them, federal figures reveal, have no criminal charges or convictions against their names.As enforcement expands, so does the divide. Protesters continue to fill the streets, braving freezing winds in search of explanations and justice for their friends and neighbors. Officials, meanwhile, hold to the line that force is necessary to protect public safety. For families and communities caught in the middle, closure remains elusive. Each new incident stirs up a familiar cycle: public outcry, official statements, and a sense that the real story is still just out of reach.— Paul Riverbank