NATIONAL
Labor mourns killing of union nurse Alex Pretti
Labor organizations are calling for action after a Veterans Affairs nurse was killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (January 26, 2026) — Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a member of American Federation of Government Employees Local 3669 and nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was shot and killed Saturday while observing a federal immigration action on the streets of Minneapolis. Video reviewed by the New York Times indicates that at least two federal agents shot Pretti at least 10 times in about five seconds. That video also shows the events that led up to his death, when Pretti can be seen aiding a fellow community member who had been pepper-sprayed by immigration officers.
In the wake of his death, organized labor has called for immediate action to hold immigration agents and the federal government responsible, and for ICE and CBP to stand-down their deadly campaign in Minneapolis and leave the city.
Local labor and community organizations are planning an action outside the federal building in downtown Seattle today, January 26, at 5:00 p.m. More information is available online.
A selection of statements from national labor unions and the Minnesota AFL-CIO follows:
Alex Jeffrey Pretti. Photo via Minnesota AFL-CIO
From AFGE National President Everett Kelley:
“Today, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an AFGE Local 3669 member and a nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center who dedicated his life to serving American veterans, was killed during protests in Minneapolis connected to the administration’s immigration actions. Our union is heartbroken. An AFGE member is dead. And a family’s life has been forever changed.
“While details of the incident are still emerging, one fact is already clear: this tragedy did not happen in a vacuum. It is the direct result of an administration that has chosen reckless policy, inflammatory rhetoric, and manufactured crisis over responsible leadership and de-escalation.
“For months, this administration has pursued immigration actions designed to provoke confrontation rather than solve problems. Their actions have raised tensions in communities across the country while stoking fear, chaos, and division. Federal workers have been placed at the center of this political theater, turned into symbols instead of being treated as the public servants they are. That kind of leadership failure has consequences, making everything more dangerous for the public and law enforcement alike.
“Today, those consequences include the death of an AFGE member.
“We are aware that video of the incident is circulating and that DHS has made public claims about what occurred that are brought into question by those videos. A full, transparent accounting and investigation is essential. But no after-the-fact explanation can erase the reality that this administration’s choices have created the conditions that made this tragedy possible.
“Right now, we mourn. We grieve for this member, for their family, and for their coworkers. We owe them compassion, solidarity, and resolve. I urge everyone to remain disciplined and measured in public, even as we are rightly angry. Still, we must do what we can to maintain peace and calm.
“But do not mistake restraint for acceptance. Accountability will come, and AFGE will not be silent about the policies and decisions that led us here.”
From the Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham:
“For the second time in less than three weeks, a Minnesotan is dead at the hands of ICE. While local authorities are still gathering information, we know that Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old Veterans Affairs Hospital ICU Nurse and member of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), is dead.
“Our hearts are with Alex’s family, friends, loved ones, our community, and his AFGE union family right now as they grieve.
“Once again, the Department of Homeland Security has rushed to share a narrative that nobody outside the department can confirm and that contradicts every publicly available video. We join the calls for a full and transparent investigation into both this killing and the killing of Renee Nicole Good.
“ICE continues to make everyone less safe, and Minnesota’s Labor Movement repeats and amplifies our call for them to leave our state immediately.
“For Minnesota’s workers of color, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, every commute to work, every trip to the grocery store, and every walk to school has become a genuine risk.
“Just yesterday, tens of thousands of Minnesotans peacefully exercised our right to free speech without incident. When ICE is involved, nonviolent protesters and legal observers are gassed, assaulted, and shot.
“’Operation Metro Surge’ is not and has never been about enforcing immigration law. This is about a President who is angry with the people of Minnesota for disagreeing with his policies and is weaponizing the federal government against us in retribution.
“Minnesota’s Labor Movement will continue to actively support and stand in solidarity with every worker who has been unlawfully detained. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our fellow Minnesotans in the face of a hostile federal government.”
From AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler:
“The AFL-CIO mourns the senseless killing of another Minneapolis resident by federal agents. Alex Jeffrey Pretti was a VA intensive care unit nurse and a member of AFGE Local 3669—a brother in our union family. Our thoughts are with Alex’s loved ones, his union siblings, and the people of Minneapolis at this devastating time.
As tens of thousands of Minnesotans made clear peacefully and powerfully yesterday, the Trump administration’s horrific operation—and their actions aimed at stoking violence and chaos—must end. America’s unions join the call for ICE to immediately leave Minnesota before anyone else is hurt or killed. We demand local authorities conduct a full, transparent investigation that will lead to accountability for this tragic and violent act, and for Congress to use its power to hold ICE accountable.”
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