Friend — One of my constituents, Alex Pretti, was murdered in cold blood by immigration agents in the streets of Minneapolis on Saturday.

Alex was a 37-year-old ICU nurse who worked for the Veterans Administration. His job was to take care of those who had served our country when they were sick and injured. His family and friends say he was a kind soul who enjoyed hiking and camping.

When George Floyd was murdered by police in Alex’s own neighborhood in 2020, he joined the local protests and stood in solidarity with his community. Alex did the same when Renee Good was murdered just weeks ago by ICE. He is one of hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans who have protested, documented, and resisted ICE’s campaign of terror over the last month.

Alex’s final act before being killed was to help a woman who was being beaten by immigration agents on the side of the road. Alex was swarmed by a team of agents, pepper-sprayed, wrestled to the ground, and shot several times.

Friend — I have seen the video from every angle. Many of you have by now. There is no earthly justification for an immigration officer to take this man’s life. This was a state-sanctioned murder, and blood is on the hands of Trump and his entire fascist administration.

But, as if this incident couldn’t be even more horrifying, the administration is doubling down on lies, slander, and defamation against an innocent man who was slain by his own government rather than facing accountability.

Kristi Noem did not miss a beat in labeling Alex a “domestic terrorist”, just like she did to Renee Good. Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino rushed to falsely claim that Alex intended to do “maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” Stephen Miller referred to Alex as “an assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents,” and Vice President JD Vance boosted it.

This is unadulterated bullsh*t – unbelievable propaganda to cover their behinds after yet another innocent person was murdered under their watch.

Alex’s family responded in a statement, "The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting… Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man,”

Friend, the murder of Alex Pretti is not an isolated incident. Simply put, the occupation of Minneapolis is an unprecedented crisis for our Constitution, our democracy, and our entire way of life.

Americans gunned down without accountability. Hundreds beaten and brutalized, from the elderly to tiny babies. Civil rights torn to shreds as ICE breaks down doors, rams into cars, and smashes windows. Citizens arrested without due process and dumped on the side of the road. Families were separated at gunpoint, and toddlers were kidnapped to use as bait against their parents. The situation has reached a boiling point, and it’s time for it to end for the sake of all that is good and decent.

We must get ICE and DHS out of Minnesota, strip them of their funding, impeach Kristi Noem for her catastrophic failure of leadership, charge ICE killers and thugs for murder and assault, and organize to punish Republicans at the ballot box this November for their steadfast reign of terror.

In solidarity,

Ilhan Omar

One more thing:

Trump’s immigration regime is out-of-control, unaccountable, and a clear danger to our communities. We are calling on Congress to stand tall in defense of our Constitution and block any and all funding for DHS and ICE. Please, add your name to our petition and help us show a massive wave of resistance to the violence and civil rights abuses we are seeing in Minnesota and across the country:

SIGN ON NOW