Governor Tim Walz has begged President Donald Trump to pull federal agents out of Minnesota after a second immigration protester was shot dead by officers this month.
‘What is the plan, Donald? What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state?’ Walz pleaded Sunday in wake of the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
Pretti was shot dead by a Border Patrol agent in broad daylight in Minneapolis on Saturday during a targeted immigration enforcement operation.
‘President Trump, you can end this today. Pull these folks back, do humane, focused, effective immigration control — you’ve got the support of all of us to do that,’ Walz begged. ‘Show some decency. Pull these folks out.’
He also addressed the American public directly, urging them to denounce Trump’s immigration crackdown and the killing of civilians by federal officers.
‘What side do you want to be on?’ Walz asked. ‘The side of an all powerful federal government that can kill, injure, menace and kidnap its citizens off the streets or on the side of a nurse at the V.A. who died bearing witness to such government.’
The governor’s plea comes amid a war with Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, who in a letter Saturday set conditions that must be met before Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be withdrawn from Minnesota.
Governor Tim Walz has begged President Donald Trumpto pull federal agents out of Minnesota after intensive care nurse Alex Pretti was shot dead by a Border Patrol agent
Alex Pretti, 37, was shot dead by a Border Patrol agent in broad daylight in Minneapolis on Saturday during a targeted immigration enforcement operation
Footage captured by bystanders appeared to show Pretti disarmed before being shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis
Walz spoke directly to Trump during his public address Sunday, blasting the administration’s continued presence in Minnesota.
‘You thought fear, violence and chaos is what you wanted from us, and you clearly underestimated the people of this state and nation,’ he said.
‘We are tired, but we’re resolved. We’re peaceful, but we’ll never forget,’ he continued. ‘We’re angry, but we won’t give up hope, and above all else, we are clearly unified.’
He suggested Trump was trying to ‘make an example of Minnesota’ but said he was proud of his state for standing up to the administration.
‘We believe in law and order in this state. In this state, we believe in peace, and we believe that Donald Trump needs to pull these 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another person.’
Walz accused the Trump administration of launching a smear campaign against Pretti, whom federal officials have said wanted to ‘massacre law enforcement.’
‘You know what you saw,’ Walz said, before going on to accuse Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other top officials of ‘sullying his name within minutes of this event happening.’
‘This is an inflection point, America. If we cannot all agree that the smearing of an American citizen and besmirching everything they stood for and asking us not to believe what we saw, I don’t know what else to tell you,’ Walz said.
He also urged Americans not to continue fighting for Pretti, claiming that the nurse’s father told him: ‘Don’t let them forget Alex’s story.’
‘I had the privilege of talking with Michael and Susan, Alex’s parents yesterday, and the heartache in the hours after your son is murdered in front of the world is one thing, but what stood out to me was a parent’s desire and their passion to make sure that the story of Alex was told,’ Walz said.
The governor’s plea comes just one day after Bondi urged the Minnesota governemtn to ‘cooperate fully’ with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In a three-page letter to Walz, she accused state officials of ‘anti-law enforcement rhetoric’ and ‘putting federal agents in danger.’
She called on the governor to ‘repeal sanctuary policies’ in Minnesota and asked that ‘all detention facilities’ in the state ‘cooperate fully with ICE’ and ‘honor detention retainers.’
Bondi further requested that Minnesota give Department of Justice (DOJ) access to its voter rolls to ‘confirm that Minnesota’s voter registration practices comply with federal law.’
‘I am confident that these simple steps will help bring back law and order to Minnesota and improve the lives of Americans,’ Bondi added.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
