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Former United States presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton issued sharp warnings Sunday, urging Americans to stand up for core national values after the second killing of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents, incidents President Donald Trump blamed on Democratic-led “chaos.”
Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama also released a joint statement condemning the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who was shot dead Saturday by a federal Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault,” the statement said.
Pretti’s death further inflamed tensions in the city, sparking clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
The incident followed the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis.
The Trump administration said Good was “very disorderly,” “stalking and impeding” agents throughout the day, and “viciously ran over” an officer with her vehicle, describing her actions as “domestic terrorism.”
Viral bystander videos, however, appeared to show Good’s vehicle turning away from the agent as he opened fire.
In their statement, the Obamas acknowledged that federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a difficult job but said Americans expect those duties to be carried out lawfully, with accountability and coordination with state and local officials.
“That’s not what we’re seeing in Minnesota,” they said.
“For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke, and endanger the residents of a major American city,” the statement added.
They said those tactics had now resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, both in Minneapolis.
“Yet rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they’ve deployed, the President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation while offering public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good, which aren’t informed by any serious investigation—and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence.”
The Obamas said Americans “should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country.”
“They are a timely reminder that ultimately, it’s up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our basic freedoms, and hold our government accountable,” they said.
Pressure has intensified on the Trump administration amid its mass immigration crackdown, particularly after Pretti was shot during a confrontation with agents on an icy roadway Saturday.
That shooting came less than three weeks after Good was killed in her car in the same Midwestern city.
Administration officials quickly claimed Pretti intended to harm federal agents, citing a pistol they said was found on him. A video shared widely on social media and verified by U.S. media outlets showed Pretti never drawing a weapon. The footage shows agents firing seconds after he was sprayed with a chemical irritant and thrown to the ground.
Trump attributed the deaths to Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, including Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
“Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States are REFUSING to cooperate with ICE,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Tragically, two American Citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat-led chaos.”
After senior officials described Pretti as an “assassin,” his parents issued a statement Saturday condemning what they called the administration’s “sickening lies” about their son.
Protesters gathered again Sunday in Minneapolis, denouncing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One person held a cardboard sign reading, “Be Pretti, be Good.”
The killings drew condemnation from Trump’s two Democratic predecessors. Hours after the Obamas’ statement, former President Bill Clinton issued a forceful rebuke of the administration.
“Peaceful protesters have been arrested, beaten, teargassed, and most searingly, in the cases of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, shot and killed,” Clinton said.
“All of this is unacceptable,” he said, urging Americans to “stand up and speak out.”
“If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back,” he added.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that an investigation was needed. While administration officials have defended the officer who shot Pretti, Trump declined twice in a brief interview with the Wall Street Journal to say whether the shooting was justified.
“We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything, and we will come out with a determination,” Trump said.
Several Republican senators have called for a thorough probe and cooperation with local authorities. The administration previously excluded local investigators from the inquiry into Good’s death.
Walz questioned the federal presence during a Sunday briefing, asking, “What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state?”
Business leaders from 60 Minnesota-based corporations, including Target and General Mills, signed an open letter Sunday calling for an “immediate de-escalation of tensions” and greater coordination among authorities.
Thousands of federal immigration agents have been deployed to heavily Democratic Minneapolis for weeks following conservative media reports of alleged fraud by Somali immigrants, claims Trump has repeatedly amplified.
Minneapolis, known for its harsh winters, has one of the largest Somali immigrant populations in the United States.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison rejected Trump’s assertions, saying, “It’s not about fraud, because if he sent people who understand forensic accounting, we’d be having a different conversation. But he’s sending armed masked men.”
Since “Operation Metro Surge” began, residents have carried whistles to warn others of agents’ presence, while sometimes violent confrontations have erupted between protesters and officers.
Recent polling shows growing public unease over Trump’s immigration operations, as videos circulate of masked agents detaining people off sidewalks, including children.
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