Minneapolis Reels as Second Citizen Dies in Federal Immigration Raid

Two citizens dead in thirty days. As memorial candles flicker outside Calvary Baptist Church in Minneapolis, federal immigration agents continue patrolling the streets where they killed Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, just days ago.

The Saturday morning shooting marked the second time in less than a month that a US citizen has died during President Trump's massive immigration enforcement operation. Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent on January 7th, sparking the first wave of protests that have now intensified into daily demonstrations.

The 3,000 federal agents deployed to Minneapolis since December represent one of the largest domestic enforcement operations in recent memory, fulfilling Trump's campaign promise of mass deportations.

A City Under Federal Occupation

What began as targeted enforcement has evolved into something residents describe as an occupation. The administration characterizes it as a "public safety effort" aimed at deporting criminals, but the reality on Minneapolis streets tells a different story.

Felix Johnson, protesting for the first time in his life, held a sign reading "ICE OUT" as he described watching a video of a four-year-old girl left alone in a car after her father's detention. "I don't understand how they can come in and just start snatching people that are citizens and start treating them like they're animals," he said.

The Department of Homeland Security claims Pretti was armed and agents fired in self-defense. Eyewitnesses and family members vehemently dispute this account, insisting he held only a phone. His parents have accused the administration of spreading "sickening lies" about their son's death.

Governor Tim Walz didn't mince words Sunday: "We believe that Trump needs to pull his 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another American in the street."

The Exhausted Helpers

At the 140-year-old Calvary Baptist Church, just blocks from where Pretti died, volunteers handed out coffee and hand warmers to a steady stream of mourners and protesters. No Sunday service was held—instead, the building became what locals call a "haven from the unrest."

Ann Hotz, who works at the church's daycare, captured the community's emotional toll: "Yesterday, I fell apart. Today I'm here to stand with my community. But I do have to say, the helpers are getting really tired. This is exhausting, and so we need there to be a change."

Church administrator Dean Caldwell-Tautges distributed whistles used to alert residents to ICE activity, calling community support "the Christian thing to do." His assessment was stark: "This is what America is now."

A Nation Divided on Methods, Not Goals

National polling reveals a complex picture of American sentiment. About half of voters support Trump's deportation efforts in principle, but opinions split sharply on execution. A Politico poll conducted after Good's death found roughly half of Americans considered the mass deportation campaign "too aggressive."

Trump praised the agents' work in a Wall Street Journal interview Sunday while suggesting the operation would eventually end, though he provided no timeline. "At some point we will leave," he said. "They've done a phenomenal job."

But for Minneapolis residents like 69-year-old Pege Miller, the federal presence feels indefinite and ominous. "We're on tenterhooks," she said while laying flowers at Pretti's memorial. "We don't know what's going to happen next."

When Enforcement Becomes Occupation

The Minneapolis operation represents a test case for Trump's immigration agenda, but it's also revealing deeper questions about federal power and local autonomy. When does immigration enforcement cross the line into something else entirely?

Hundreds gathered for an impromptu protest downtown Sunday, chanting "No more Minnesota nice, Minneapolis will strike." Among them, a veteran held a sign reading "Veterans Against ICE," explaining his disillusionment: "I joined to serve a country that was improving, that was growing. What we're seeing here is the opposite—this is not promoting freedom. This is horrifying."