Barack and Michelle Obama slam ICE after Minneapolis shooting, urge accountability
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama said the killing of Alex Pretti was a national wake-up call, arguing that federal immigration agents in Minnesota are using...
By Fox News · Fox News
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama said the killing of Alex Pretti was a national wake-up call, arguing that federal immigration agents in Minnesota are using tactics that intimidate and endanger residents while operating without sufficient accountability. In their joint Sunday statement, the Obamas tied Pretti’s death to weeks of escalating federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota that has sparked protests, controversy and clashes between local residents and agents, saying the broader response to his shooting illustrates how the tactics being used have widened divisions and heightened tensions nationwide. Federal officials said Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident and Veterans Affairs ICU nurse, was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent during an early-morning immigration enforcement operation targeting Jose Huerta-Chuma, an illegal immigrant with a criminal history. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said Pretti approached agents while armed with a 9mm pistol and "violently resisted" when officers attempted to disarm him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and state officials said he had a valid permit to carry a firearm. BORDER PATROL-INVOLVED SHOOTING REPORTED IN MINNEAPOLIS Framing the shooting as a broader warning, the Obamas urged Americans to consider what they described as the wider implications of the incident and its aftermath. "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," the Obamas said. " 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." The Obamas said that is not what they are witnessing in Minnesota, arguing they are seeing the opposite. NARRATIVES CLASH…