Obama, Clinton warn that agent-involved killings should serve as a wake-up call for the US

Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton on Sunday issued strong appeals for Americans to defend their core values following a second fatal shooting of a US citizen by immigration agents in Minneapolis — an incident Donald Trump blamed on Democratic-led “chaos.”

The Trump administration is facing mounting scrutiny over its sweeping immigration crackdown, particularly after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, on Saturday during a confrontation on an icy road. The killing occurred less than three weeks after another immigration officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good while she sat in her car in the same city.

Administration officials quickly alleged that Pretti intended to harm the agents, citing a pistol they said was found on him — echoing claims made after Good’s death. However, video footage widely circulated on social media and verified by US outlets appears to contradict that account, showing Pretti never drawing a weapon before agents fired moments after spraying him with a chemical irritant and forcing him to the ground.

Trump blamed Minnesota’s Democratic leadership for the deaths, accusing Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of refusing to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Writing on Truth Social, he claimed that “Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States” were responsible and said two citizens had died because of “Democrat ensued chaos.”

After senior officials labeled Pretti an “assassin” who attacked agents, his parents released a statement condemning what they called the administration’s “sickening lies” about their son.

Anger spilled into the streets on Sunday as protesters gathered in Minneapolis to denounce ICE. One sign read: “Be Pretti, be Good.”

The two deaths have sparked widespread outrage, including from Trump’s Democratic predecessors. Barack and Michelle Obama said in a statement that Pretti’s killing should be a “wake-up call” that fundamental American values are “increasingly under assault.”

Hours later, Bill Clinton delivered a scathing rebuke of the administration, saying peaceful protesters had been “arrested, beaten, teargassed,” and, in the cases of Good and Pretti, “shot and killed.”

“All of this is unacceptable,” Clinton said, urging Americans to “stand up, speak out.” He warned, “If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back.”

US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press that an investigation was needed. While officials have defended the agent involved in Pretti’s killing, Trump declined in an interview with The Wall Street Journal to say whether the officer acted appropriately, saying only that the administration was “reviewing everything.”

Several Republican senators have called for a thorough investigation and cooperation with local authorities — a contrast to the administration’s decision to exclude local investigators from the probe into Good’s death.

Governor Walz, speaking Sunday, challenged the president directly, asking: “What do we need to do to get these federal agents out of our state?”

Meanwhile, business leaders from 60 Minnesota-based corporations — including Target, General Mills and multiple professional sports teams — signed an open letter calling for an “immediate de-escalation of tensions” and greater coordination among authorities.

Thousands of federal immigration agents have been deployed to Democratic-leaning Minneapolis in recent weeks following conservative media reports of alleged fraud involving Somali immigrants, claims Trump has repeatedly amplified. The city has one of the largest Somali immigrant populations in the US.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison rejected Trump’s assertions, saying the operation was not about fraud. “If he sent people who understand forensic accounting, we’d be having a different conversation,” Ellison said. “But he’s sending armed masked men.”

Since the launch of “Operation Metro Surge,” residents have carried whistles to warn others of agents’ presence, while confrontations between officers and protesters have at times turned violent. Recent polls show growing public unease over Trump’s immigration tactics, fueled by videos showing masked agents detaining people — including children — in public places.