Federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, prompting President Donald Trump to dispatch his border czar, Tom Homan, to Minnesota to oversee ICE operations. Protests erupt and demands for investigation into Saturday’s immigration enforcement clash intensify. Homan brings over 30 years of immigration enforcement experience, including his stint as acting ICE director where he devised the zero-tolerance policy.
Shooting Breakdown
During a heated standoff, Border Patrol agents clashed with anti-ICE protesters as Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at Minneapolis VA Care System, intervened for a bystander. Agents subdued him, deployed chemical spray, and fired multiple close-range shots; DHS justifies self-defense due to his refusal to disarm, yet releases no evidence. This incident fuels outrage over Trump’s immigration push, with ICE ramping up in the city to tackle Somali community fraud scandals.
Homan’s Career Path
Tom Homan launched his career in 1984 as a New York police officer and Border Patrol agent. He climbed to head ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations under Trump’s first term, driving strict measures like family separations. Post-2024 reelection, Trump named him border czar—he reports directly to the president, skips Senate approval, and teams with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to speed mass deportations. Critics blast his family separation role; supporters hail his public safety focus and precise targeting.
Strategic Deployment
Trump revealed Homan’s assignment via Truth Social, shifting tactics amid backlash against federal moves in Minneapolis. This follows deployment of 2,000 ICE officers to the Twin Cities for fraud-linked deportations. Minnesota’s governor orders federal agents out, crowds protest, and a judge weighs halting the operation.
