Former US President Barack Obama on Sunday called the killing of another US citizen by federal immigration agents in the city of Minneapolis a “wake-up call for every American”. He called on the federal authorities to cooperate with the state of Minnesota, reports TASR according to the AFP and AP agencies.
“The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of political party, that many of our country’s core values are increasingly under attack,” Obama said in a statement he and his wife, Michelle, issued. According to them, President Donald Trump and his administration should not escalate the situation, but work with state officials to prevent further chaos.
Shooting during the protest
A Federal Border Patrol agent shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who worked as an intensive care unit nurse, in Minneapolis on Saturday. The shooting comes amid daily protests in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul area that began Jan. 7 after the death of 37-year-old Renee Good after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot her car.
Saturday’s shooting sparked new protests in Minneapolis and prompted calls from local leaders and Democrats across the country for federal immigration officials to leave Minnesota. At the same time, state and federal authorities are fighting a legal battle to investigate the case and seize evidence.
Contentious video footage
Bystander video reviewed by the AP appears to contradict Trump administration officials’ claims that agents fired at Pretti in self-defense as he approached them. He was only holding a phone, and there were no images showing him with a weapon in his hand. During the struggle, agents tried to disarm him when they discovered he was carrying a semi-automatic handgun and then fired multiple shots at him. Pretti had a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Minnesota’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, called the Trump administration’s anti-immigration operation in his state a “federal occupation of Minnesota.” According to him, this is a “campaign of organized brutality against people”.
The political conflict is escalating
Trump, on the other hand, accused the governor of Minnesota and the mayor of Minneapolis of “fomenting a riot” in connection with the response to the shooting. The White House chief previously threatened to invoke the Sedition Act and send troops to Minnesota.
Demonstrations were also held in other American cities after Saturday’s fatal shooting, including New York, Washington and Los Angeles.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced that Democrats will not vote for a spending bill that includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE. It increases the possibility of a partial stoppage of federal government funding, the so-called shutdown, from January 30.
