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On Jan. 24, 2026, Alex Pretti was shot multiple times and killed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Minneapolis, marking the eighth person to die during the US immigration crackdown, with the first reported death being Jaime Alanis on July 10 of last year.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) houses and oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and CBP.
Pretti’s death came nearly three weeks after Renee Good was shot in her car.
Notably, many U.S. agencies train officers not to fire into moving vehicles and have banned the practice in rare circumstances, as firing at a moving driver risks the lives of others in the vehicle, on the street or other drivers. The Wall Street Journal reported on Jan. 10 that there have been 13 instances of agents firing at or into civilian vehicles since July of last year. Actions like these taken by federal agents during this immigration crackdown have led many to call for a reformation or abolishment of federal immigration enforcement agencies.
After a week of labeling Pretti as dangerous, despite multiple videos showing the opposite, the current administration has changed its strategy. On Friday, Jan. 30, the Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation. Originally, the inquiry into the shooting would be led by DHS investigators and would focus on whether the agent’s use of force had violated internal protocols and standards rather than whether Pretti was deprived of his civil rights in the incident. As of Friday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be leading the investigation, assisted by DHS, with CBP launching a separate internal investigation into the shooting.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem did not comment on the change but did distance herself from claims about Pretti’s behavior she had made earlier in the week, calling the situation chaotic and blaming the relayed information from officers on the ground for the lack of clarity. It is not clear if the change will mean the FBI will share information and evidence with Minnesota state investigators who have so far been cut off from the proceedings.
On Wednesday, Jan. 28, the threat of a partial government shutdown loomed over the Capitol. Senate Democrats threatened to hold a six-bill minibus if DHS was not removed from funding for the fiscal year following the killings in Minnesota. Specifically, senate democrats wanted the bill to change aspects of immigration enforcement, including a code of conduct for federal agents that would require officers to show identification.
On that Wednesday, The New York Times reports White House legislative affairs aides reached out to democrats who had voted against their party in the last shutdown and invited them to a session to discuss a potential deal. All of them declined.
On Jan. 29, an agreement was struck to temporarily remove the DHS bill. The other five bills passed 71-29 and are now headed to the House. As the House did not return until Monday, funding has lapsed for parts of the government temporarily. House Speaker Mike Johnson told ABC he is confident the House can approve the passed bills by Tuesday. DHS will continue to be funded at current levels for the next two weeks while Congress negotiates. There is no immediate impact on ICE as it received $75 billion separately in funding from the Big Beautiful Bill.
