Labor Giant Demands ICE Leave Minnesota After Fatal Shooting

America's largest labor organization has issued a stern rebuke of federal immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota following a deadly confrontation that claimed the life of a local healthcare worker.

The AFL-CIO, representing nearly 15 million workers nationwide, is demanding the immediate withdrawal of ICE agents from the state before anyone else is hurt or killed. This dramatic call to action comes in response to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and US citizen who was killed during a federal immigration sweep.

The incident has ignited fierce condemnation from labor unions, business leaders, and community members, all calling for accountability and an end to what they describe as escalating violence in Minnesota communities.

The shooting occurred on Saturday in Minneapolis, where Alex Pretti worked as an intensive care unit nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. According to Minneapolis police, Pretti was a US citizen who had been filming federal agents when the confrontation began.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and Border Patrol operations, offered a different account of events. Officials claimed Pretti was carrying a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and approached agents at the scene. According to their statement, officers attempted to disarm him, but he resisted.

However, multiple videos of the incident tell a conflicting story. Footage shows Pretti was disarmed and subdued before he was shot. Minneapolis police later confirmed that Pretti held a valid permit to carry the weapon.

The shooting represents the second deadly encounter between federal agents and Minnesota residents this month. On January 7, another federal agent shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old American citizen, in Minneapolis.

The AFL-CIO responded swiftly and forcefully to the killing, characterizing Pretti's death as senseless and calling for immediate action.

As tens of thousands of Minnesotans made clear peacefully and powerfully yesterday, the Trump administration's horrific operation — and their actions aimed at stoking violence and chaos — must end.

The labor federation joined calls for ICE to immediately leave Minnesota and demanded that local authorities conduct a full, transparent investigation that will lead to accountability. The statement also called on Congress to use its power to hold ICE accountable for the violence.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the union representing Pretti and other federal workers, also issued a sharp condemnation. AFGE National President Everett Kelley stated:

This tragedy did not happen in a vacuum. It is the direct result of an administration that has chosen reckless policy, inflammatory rhetoric, and manufactured crisis over responsible leadership and de-escalation.

Kelley emphasized that the presence of federal agents has stoked fear and division throughout the community, though he urged members to remain disciplined and measured even in their anger.

The deadly shooting occurred as part of Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale immigration enforcement sweep that began in December. The Department of Homeland Security has deployed approximately 2,000 federal agents across Minnesota to detain and deport undocumented immigrants.

The operation represents a central pillar of the administration's agenda, which prioritizes securing the border and deporting individuals lacking proper documentation. However, the tactics employed by federal agents have drawn widespread criticism from local residents and business owners.

These enforcement actions have sparked protests across the state, with community members expressing outrage over the methods being used to locate and detain individuals. Tensions have escalated dramatically following the two January shootings.

Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham offered a scathing critique of the operation's true purpose:

'Operation Metro Surge' is not and has never been about enforcing immigration law. This is about a President who is angry with the people of Minnesota for disagreeing with his policies and is weaponizing the federal government against us in retribution.

The condemnation extends beyond labor organizations into Minnesota's corporate leadership. The CEOs of the state's largest businesses have united to demand immediate de-escalation of federal operations.

In a rare joint statement issued on Sunday, executives from major corporations including Target, Cargill, Allianz, and UnitedHealth voiced their concern over the escalating violence and its impact on their communities.

This alignment between organized labor and corporate leadership underscores the breadth of opposition to the current enforcement strategy. Both sectors appear united in their call for:

• An immediate halt to violent enforcement tactics
• A full and transparent investigation
• Accountability for the deaths of Pretti and Good
• Congressional oversight of ICE operations

The AFGE has vowed to maintain pressure for accountability, with President Kelley stating: "Do not mistake restraint for acceptance. Accountability will come, and AFGE will not be silent about the policies and decisions that led us here."

The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti has become a flashpoint in the debate over immigration enforcement tactics and federal authority. What began as an immigration operation has evolved into a broader confrontation involving labor unions, business leaders, and community members demanding change.

As calls for investigation and accountability grow louder, the pressure mounts on federal authorities to justify their actions and explain why a US citizen working as a nurse was killed during an immigration sweep. The dual demands for ICE's withdrawal and a transparent investigation represent a significant escalation in opposition to current enforcement policies.

For now, Minnesota communities remain on edge as they await answers and accountability. The question of whether federal operations will continue, and under what oversight, remains at the center of a controversy that has united labor, business, and community voices in an unprecedented coalition.