Deaths Amid Immigration Enforcement: A Deepening Crisis

Mon Feb 02 2026 16:11:19 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent wave of fatalities linked to immigration enforcement actions in the United States has raised serious concerns about the measures employed by federal authorities. At least six individuals have died, including a U.S. citizen shot by a Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis, revealing a troubling pattern of violence and accountability in immigration raids.

At least six fatalities have been reported in connection with the aggressive immigration enforcement practices during the Trump administration. The most recent case involved Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen who was shot by a Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis while allegedly holding a cellphone. There are claims of excessive force and lack of accountability, as no officers have been charged following these incidents. Cases from Minnesota to California saw civilians become victims of ICE enforcement actions, sparking protests and legal challenges against these federal efforts.

At least six people have died during the Trump administration’s intense immigration enforcement campaign in the U.S., the latest being a 37-year-old man who was shot by a Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis.

Federal authorities immediately described Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, as an armed agitator who was a threat to immigration officers. But videos showed Pretti’s hands were only holding a phone when a masked Border Patrol officer opened fire on Jan. 24.

Governor Tim Walz denounced as “despicable” the comments made by federal officials about Pretti.

Pretti, who worked as a nurse, was permitted to possess a handgun in Minnesota. In video of the shooting, an officer appears to pull a gun from Pretti’s waist and step away. That’s when the first shot was fired, followed by more shots. Pretti was on the ground when he was killed.

This incident is the second fatal shooting in January in Minneapolis, following the death of a woman shot by an ICE officer as she used her vehicle to block a street and was slowly pulling away.

Last September, an ICE agent shot a person outside Chicago, and two more individuals died while fleeing immigration authorities. A California farmworker fell from a greenhouse and broke his neck during an ICE raid last July.

No officers have faced charges for these deaths, raising alarms over accountability in the enforcement of immigration laws.