Seven months after Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse from Minnesota, was fatally shot by Customs and Border Protection agents during a January immigration enforcement operation near the Canadian border, his family is publicly calling on the Trump administration to provide answers about what happened that day.
The shooting occurred in a rural area of northern Minnesota as CBP officers were conducting operations related to suspected unauthorized crossings. Pretti, who worked as a nurse at a local hospital, was struck during the incident and later died from his injuries. The circumstances surrounding the shooting have not been fully explained by federal authorities despite repeated requests for information from the family and their representatives.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates say the case raises serious questions about use-of-force protocols during CBP operations in non-border regions. Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum said in a statement that her office has fielded numerous calls from constituents seeking clarity on federal agents' authority to engage individuals away from official ports of entry.
"Minnesotans deserve to know whether proper de-escalation procedures were followed and why lethal force was deemed necessary in this situation," McCollum said. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota called for an independent investigation, arguing that the public has a right to transparency when federal agents shoot civilians on domestic soil.
Family attorney James Whitfield said Pretti's parents have been waiting seven months without receiving a clear explanation from CBP about what triggered the shooting. "They want to understand why their son did not survive this encounter," Whitfield said in an interview with The Hill. "There are still fundamental gaps in what they've been told."
What the Right Is Saying
Republican officials defending CBP's actions say agents face difficult split-second decisions when encountering suspected illegal activity along international boundaries. Minnesota Republican Party Chair David Hann noted that border security operations have intensified under the Trump administration's get-tough immigration posture.
"Our Border Patrol agents are tasked with protecting the integrity of our borders, and that includes northern approaches," Hann said in a written statement. "These men and women operate in challenging conditions, often with limited information about who they are encountering."
CBP has not provided detailed public accounting of the incident, citing an ongoing internal review. Agency officials have stated generally that agents acted within established protocols during the January operation. Some conservative commentators have argued that media coverage of the case overlooks the dangers faced by law enforcement in immigration enforcement roles.
What the Numbers Show
According to CBP statistics, the agency's northern border operations have increased significantly since early 2025. The agency reported 847 arrests for illegal entry along the U.S.-Canada border in January, compared to 312 during the same period in 2024. Minnesota State Patrol records show no prior incidents involving CBP agents firing weapons in the state's northern counties.
Pretti had worked as an ICU nurse at a regional medical center for six years with no disciplinary actions on his professional record, according to state nursing board data reviewed by The Hill. His family has retained legal counsel but has not announced plans for litigation against the federal government as of this reporting.
The Bottom Line
The Pretti family's public call for answers marks an escalation in their effort to understand circumstances surrounding the January shooting. CBP officials have indicated an internal review is ongoing, though no timeline for completing that process or releasing findings has been provided.
Family representatives say they are not seeking criminal charges but want a complete account of events and policy review. Congressional offices from Minnesota have requested briefings from CBP leadership, according to staff familiar with those inquiries. The case may influence debates over CBP operational authority in interior regions and use-of-force training for agents working away from traditional border zones.