'Let ICE do their job': Trump reacts after federal agents fa .. Read more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/127426385.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

President Trump is willing to withdraw ICE and Border Patrol agents from Minneapolis

President Donald Trump said he is open to withdrawing federal immigration agents from Minneapolis as his administration reviews the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a case that has sparked days of protests and sharpened tensions between federal and state authorities.

In a brief phone interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Trump said his administration is “reviewing everything” related to the shooting and suggested that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents “at some point” could be pulled from the city. He offered no timeline, but the comments marked a notable shift in tone amid mounting backlash.

Read more: Trump Defends Federal Agents After Alex Pretti Shooting in Minnesota

A Heavy Federal Presence in Minneapolis

The shooting occurred during a sweeping federal immigration enforcement effort that began in late 2025 and expanded into January. Under what federal officials have described as a major enforcement surge, the Department of Homeland Security deployed an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area.

Those personnel included officers from:

  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), primarily focused on arrests and removals inside the U.S.

  • United States Border Patrol, traditionally tasked with border security but increasingly deployed in interior operations

  • Other DHS components, including Homeland Security Investigations

The surge, one of the largest interior immigration operations in recent years, placed armed federal agents across residential neighborhoods, transit corridors, and protest sites — far from the U.S. border. DHS said the operation targeted people with serious criminal records, while local officials argued it created fear and confusion among residents.

The Alex Pretti Shooting

On January 24, Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent during an enforcement operation near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis.

DHS initially said Pretti posed a threat and was carrying a handgun. It later confirmed he was a legal firearm owner with a valid permit to carry. However, multiple bystander videos reviewed by media outlets appear to show Pretti holding a cellphone and filming moments before he was tackled and pinned to the ground by several agents.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said he has seen no evidence that Pretti brandished a weapon before the shooting — a statement that directly contradicts the implication that Pretti posed an immediate threat.

Read more: Minneapolis Police Chief Says No Evidence Alex Pretti Brandished Gun Before Fatal Shooting

Protests and State–Federal Tensions

Pretti’s death triggered widespread protests across Minneapolis and elsewhere in Minnesota, with demonstrators calling for the removal of ICE and Border Patrol agents and demanding accountability for federal use of force.

State officials escalated the dispute by filing a lawsuit accusing federal agents of removing evidence from the scene. A federal judge later issued a temporary restraining order barring DHS from destroying or altering any evidence related to the shooting — an unusual step underscoring the lack of trust between state and federal authorities.

Minnesota leaders, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have repeatedly urged the Trump administration to end the federal deployment, arguing it has destabilized the city rather than improved safety.

Trump’s Remarks and Political Calculations

In his Wall Street Journal interview, Trump described Pretti’s handgun as “very dangerous and unpredictable,” but stopped short of fully endorsing the agent’s actions. “I don’t like any shooting,” he said, adding that the administration is still determining next steps.

The comments appear to reflect competing pressures: support from allies who back aggressive immigration enforcement, and growing criticism from local officials, civil rights groups, and even some Republicans uneasy with the optics of federal agents patrolling American cities.

Read more:

- Border Patrol Agents Explained: Who They Are, What They Do, and How They Differ from ICE Agents

- ICE Agents Explained: Who They Are, What They Do, and Why They’re Under Scrutiny

What Happens Next

It remains unclear whether ICE and Border Patrol agents will actually be withdrawn from Minneapolis, or whether Trump’s comments signal a temporary pause rather than a policy reversal. Federal and state investigations into Pretti’s death are ongoing, and no agent has been publicly identified or charged.

For many Minnesotans, the issue now extends beyond a single shooting. The presence of thousands of federal agents in their city — and the question of who controls accountability when deadly force is used — has become a defining political and civic issue.

As investigations continue, Trump’s willingness to reconsider the federal deployment suggests the fallout from Alex Pretti’s death is reshaping not only Minneapolis, but the broader national debate over immigration enforcement and federal policing.