Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz has called on US President Donald Trump to pull “untrained” federal immigration agents out of the state after Border Patrol killed a protester in Minneapolis. This is the second death in the city as the crackdown continues.
Walz asked Trump directly at a press conference on Sunday amid growing calls for an independent investigation into the shooting death of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Preti.
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“What’s your plan, Donald Trump?” he asked, adding, “What do we need to do to get these federal employees out of our states?”
The question came after Trump administration officials defended Preeti’s killing, even though graphic video evidence appeared to contradict their account.
Federal agents shot Preti to death Saturday during a scuffle on an icy road in Minneapolis. The attack comes less than three weeks after an immigration officer shot and killed Renee Good, also 37, in her car.
The Trump administration has argued that Preti intended to harm the agents, as he did after Goode’s death, and pointed to the handgun recovered from him.
But a video widely shared on social media and reviewed by U.S. media shows that Preeti never drew her weapon and that agents fired about 10 shots at her seconds after the chemical irritant was sprayed in her face and she was thrown to the ground.
The videos have further fueled ongoing protests against the presence of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, with about 1,000 people taking part in demonstrations on Sunday.
“The victims were Border Patrol agents,” Border Patrol Commander General Gregory Bovino said on CNN’s State of the Union program.
This public statement was echoed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other members of the Trump administration on Sunday, sparking outrage among local law enforcement, many Minneapolis residents and Democrats on Capitol Hill.
Democratic strategist Arshad Hasan called Preeti’s murder and its aftermath “deeply disturbing” and accused federal officials of turning a low-crime city into an “occupation.”
“I don’t see why government agencies should have special immunity from due process when someone is murdered…Murder is a crime that state and local law enforcement have jurisdiction over,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that the community was “grieving” and feeling “besieged.”
Hold a cell phone instead of a gun
Video from the scene shows Preti holding a cellphone instead of a gun and trying to help other protesters who were pushed to the ground by agents.
As one video begins, Preti is seen filming as federal agents push one woman away and push another to the ground. Preeti moves between the agent and the women, raising her left arm to protect herself as the agent sprays pepper spray.
Some agents then grab Preeti and she forces her to her hands and knees. As investigators held Preeti down, someone yelled, warning them of the presence of a gun.
Video footage then shows one of the agents pulling a gun from Preeti and walking away from the group with it.
Moments later, a police officer with a handgun fired four shots in quick succession into Preeti’s back. Another agent then appears to fire at Preeti, and several more gunshots are heard.
Darius Reeves, former head of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Baltimore, told Reuters that the apparent lack of communication by federal officials was a problem. “I watched the team’s reaction and it was clear that no one was communicating,” Reeves said.
He drew attention to signs that officers may have obtained Preeti’s weapon before she was killed. “The proof for me is how everyone scatters,” he said. “They’re looking around and trying to figure out where the bullets were coming from.”
Preeti’s parents issued a statement on Saturday condemning the Trump administration’s “disgusting lies” about their son after federal officials described her as an “assassin” who attacked employees.
Deputy U.S. Attorney Todd Blanche said on NBC’s Meet the Press that an investigation is needed to determine the full extent of the killing.
When asked if the agent had already drawn his pistol when he fired at Preti, Blanche said: “We don’t know. And no one knows. That’s why we’re investigating.”
Several of President Trump’s Republican senators called for a thorough investigation into the killing and cooperation with local authorities. “We need a full joint federal and state investigation,” said Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy.
Thousands of federal immigration agents have been sent to heavily Democratic Minneapolis for weeks after conservative media reported on allegations of fraud by Somali immigrants.
Trump has repeatedly amplified racist accusations, including on Sunday when he posted on his Truth Social platform, “Minnesota is criminally covering up a massive financial fraud that has been perpetrated!”
The city, known for its bitterly cold winters, has one of the highest concentrations of Somali immigrants in the country.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison pushed back against Trump’s claims. “It’s not a question of fraud. If he had sent someone who understood forensic accounting, we would have a different conversation. But he is sending armed, masked men,” he said.
