Killings by US Agents Lead to Protests, Small Changes, Shutdown

Minneapolis, Minnesota —(Map)

Strong reactions have followed the killing of a second US citizen in Minnesota by US government agents. Large, widespread protests and strikes took place this weekend. The US government is in a partial shutdown, and US President Donald Trump’s government shows some small signs of changing its approach.

In recent months, President Trump has ordered a “surge” of ICE and Border Patrol agents into Minnesota to remove people who are in the US illegally. Above, masked ICE agents armed with cans of pepper spray, seen in Minneapolis, Minnesota last Wednesday.

On January 7, an ICE agent shot and killed a Minneapolis mother called Renee Good. This led to huge protests, but the US government said it would not investigate the killing.

On January 24, Alex Pretti was shot and killed by US Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. Mr. Pretti was a nurse and a US citizen. The killing, which was caught on video, has shocked the nation.

Videos show that Mr. Pretti tried to protect a woman who was knocked down by Border Patrol agents. Mr. Pretti was pepper-sprayed and dragged to the ground by the agents. Within seconds, Mr. Pretti had been shot multiple times by two different agents.

At first, the US government claimed that Mr. Pretti had a gun out and was attacking the agents. But videos taken by people nearby showed that that wasn’t true. Mr. Pretti was wearing a gun, but he never took it out. His gun had been taken away, and he was lying helpless on the ground when he was shot.

The killing of Mr. Pretti has led to large protests across the US, with many people demanding an end to the actions of ICE and Border Patrol. The protests have been particularly strong and large in Minnesota. But there have also been large protests in cities across the US. In some places, people have been protesting by striking – not going to work or school.

This time, the US Justice Department says it will investigate the shooting. For now, the two Border Patrol agents who killed Mr. Pretti have been suspended from their jobs.

Mr. Trump has removed the man who was leading immigration operations in Minnesota, and sent in Tom Homan, seen above talking to reporters last Thursday. Mr. Homan has suggested that some agents could leave Minnesota, but he and Mr. Trump say efforts to capture immigrants will continue.

Mr. Trump’s government has removed the man who was leading ICE and Border Patrol operations in Minnesota. Instead, Mr. Trump has sent in Tom Homan, who Mr. Trump has put in charge of borders and immigration. Though Mr. Homan has suggested that some agents could leave Minnesota, both he and Mr. Trump insist that efforts to capture immigrants will continue.

State and local leaders in Minnesota say they want these agents removed. They have even gone to court to have the operations stopped, though a judge recently ruled against doing this.

The shooting also upset many politicians in Washington, DC – not just Democrats, but also some Republicans. Politicians from both parties have called for an investigation into the shooting.

The situation has also led to a partial shutdown of the US government. Democrats say there must be changes to the way immigration operations work before they will approve more money for the Department of Homeland Security. Lawmakers are discussing a temporary solution so that the government can run for two weeks, while still allowing time for discussions on how ICE and Border Patrol agents will act in the future.

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Did You Know…?
Kristi Noem, who leads the Department of Homeland Security, says that in the future, ICE and Border Patrol agents will wear body cameras to record their activities.