When Justice Becomes Internal Affairs

37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot at least 10 times by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis last Saturday. The video is clear: federal agents beat him to his knees, then opened fire within seconds as he tried to protect a woman they had pepper-sprayed moments earlier.

By Tuesday, the Justice Department had already decided there would be no civil rights investigation into his death.

This isn't bureaucratic delay or procedural confusion. It's a deliberate policy shift that transforms how America handles police violence when the officers wear federal badges instead of local ones.

The New Rules of Federal Accountability

Under standard practice, the FBI would investigate whether Pretti's killing violated his civil rights. Instead, Customs and Border Protection — the same agency that employs his killer — will conduct an internal review to determine if their agent "violated agency policy."

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Investigations, part of ICE, is investigating whether Pretti himself committed crimes. The victim becomes the suspect while his killer's colleagues decide his fate.

This mirrors the treatment of Renee Good, killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross earlier this month. The DOJ not only blocked civil rights investigations into her death but actively pursued her widow, prompting 10 federal prosecutors to resign in protest.

The message is unmistakable: federal immigration agents operate under different rules than local police. When they kill, their own agencies investigate. When victims' families seek justice, they become targets themselves.

The Immunity Problem

State prosecutors face nearly insurmountable barriers when attempting to charge federal agents. While not legally impossible, the practical hurdles are designed to be prohibitive. Federal agencies can claim their officers were acting within their authority, invoke national security concerns, or simply refuse to cooperate with state investigations.

Since last summer, federal immigration agents have been involved in 16 shootings. Zero have resulted in criminal charges. Zero have led to known disciplinary action.

This creates a parallel justice system where the same act — shooting an unarmed person — carries vastly different consequences depending on which government issues your badge.

Beyond Minneapolis

Pretti's death reveals how quickly democratic norms can be dismantled through seemingly technical policy changes. The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division exists precisely to investigate cases where local accountability mechanisms fail or present conflicts of interest.

By removing federal agents from this oversight, the Trump administration hasn't just changed policy — it's created a class of government employees effectively immune from criminal prosecution for actions taken in their official capacity.

This immunity extends beyond individual cases. It signals to federal agents that aggressive enforcement will be protected, not prosecuted. It tells communities that federal power operates outside traditional accountability structures. It demonstrates how executive authority can reshape justice without changing a single law.