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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsObama Says Killing Of Alex Pretti Should Be 'Wake-Up Call' To All Americans
Former President Barack Obama released a statement on Sunday honoring slain Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti ― warning that his shooting death at the hands of federal immigration agents should serve as a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.
The Democrats statement comes a day after federal agents killed 37-year-old Pretti during a protest against the ongoing federal occupation of Minneapolis. Pretti was an ICU nurse for the VA and a legal gun owner with a permit to carry.
For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city, Obama wrote.
For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city, Obama wrote.
Link to tweet
Don't shit your britches again Donny boy.
usonian
(23,836 posts)STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AND MRS. OBAMA
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JANUARY 25, 2026
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.
Federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a tough job. But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a lawful, accountable way, and to work with, rather than against, state and local officials to ensure public safety.
That's not what we're seeing in Minnesota. In fact, we're seeing the opposite.
For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city
These unprecedented tactics-which even the former top lawyer of the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration has characterized as embarrassing, lawless and cruel- have now resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S citizens
And yet rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they've deployed, the President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation, while offering public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that aren't informed by any serious investigation -and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence.
This has to stop
I would hope that after this most recent tragedy, administration officials will reconsider their approach, and start finding ways to work constructively with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey as well as state and local police to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals.
In the meantime, every American should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country. They are a timely reminder that ultimately it's up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our basic freedoms, and hold our government accountable.