Statement Responding to the Shootings in Minneapolis and the Work Ahead

Boston, MA (1/26/26) — By now, we are sure you have heard the news of Alex Pretti’s shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis this weekend. To say that the Coalition is horrified is an understatement. Pretti’s killing comes just a few weeks after the shooting of Renee Good on another Minneapolis street and the fatal shooting of Keith Porter by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve. Reporting from The Trace shows that ICE has shot many others over the past year as well. These shootings are heartbreaking and terrifying, and the federal government’s continued refusal to investigate these incidents is unacceptable. 

Just two days before Alex Pretti’s shooting, Coalition staff and our board chair gathered to discuss ICE, immigration, and gun violence - and how we wanted to address these issues moving forward. We understood the urgency of this conversation, but we didn’t realize just how quickly the next shooting would happen. 

We want to be clear: This is gun violence, perpetrated by the government of the United States. No person, or government agency, should be above the law. We must name it and talk about it. Violence thrives in silence and we will not be silent in the face of these shootings.

We know that the safest communities are the ones with the most resources, not the most ICE agents. They are the ones where all people – including immigrants and those who support them – can walk the streets without fear of being shot, profiled or abducted. What the federal government is doing in Minneapolis and other cities is not making our communities safer. It is sowing fear and causing harm. These deaths at the hands of federal agents are leaving families bereaved and entire communities traumatized. That is not community safety. We cannot move the work of gun violence prevention forward when our own government is causing it. It has to stop.

Trust that the Coalition will continue to name this violence and talk about it. If you want to learn more about the scope and history of gun violence perpetrated by federal immigration agents, we recommend following The Trace’s reporting at www.thetrace.org.