John,
On Saturday, we witnessed yet another tragedy in Minnesota. Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse for the Department of Veterans Affairs, was killed in a horrifying shooting by federal agents.
I have seen the video. It is sickening. But Minnesota’s justice system will have the last word. It must have the last word.
I told President Trump in no uncertain terms that the state must lead the investigation. The federal government cannot be trusted to do so.
The federal occupation of Minnesota long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement. It is a campaign of organized brutality against the people of our state. And now, that campaign has claimed yet another life.
Minnesotans and our local law enforcement have done everything we can to deescalate. The President must end this operation and pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers sowing chaos and violence out of Minnesota. Now.
Despite these horrific acts by the federal government, Minnesotans are still standing up for the rule of law and the dignity of all people. Minnesotans are witnessing, creating a log of evidence for future prosecution of ICE agents and officials. They are helping their neighbors, walking their kids to school, and feeding their families. I salute their courage — and their restraint.
They think they can provoke us into abandoning their own values. They are wrong.
We will keep the peace. We will secure justice for our neighbors. And we will see this occupation end.
With gratitude and resolve,
Tim Walz
