President Donald Trump appeared to signal an interest in easing tensions in Minneapolis following a second fatal shooting involving federal immigration agents, but developments on the ground suggested little immediate change. According to reporting by the Associated Press, the administration reshuffled leadership by dispatching the president’s top border adviser to Minnesota to oversee immigration enforcement, a move framed as an effort to restore control amid weeks of confrontations. Trump also adopted a more conciliatory tone toward Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, indicating after phone conversations that he and Governor Tim Walz were aligned in their thinking and that discussions with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey were constructive. Despite this softer rhetoric, federal immigration operations continued in Minneapolis and neighboring St. Paul, accompanied by visible protests. Journalists from the Associated Press documented ongoing street-level confrontations, including activists tracking federal vehicles and officers from multiple agencies engaging demonstrators. The AP reported that journalists were pushed and threatened with arrest while attempting to cover the events, and that pepper spray was used during at least one detention. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was visiting Minnesota, announced via a verified social media post that 16 individuals had been arrested on charges related to assaulting or impeding law enforcement, adding that additional arrests were anticipated as enforcement efforts proceeded.
Courts, Communities, and Consulates Highlight Broader Strain Over Federal Immigration Enforcement
The Associated Press further reported that enforcement actions extended into residential neighborhoods and even to the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis, where federal officers were blocked from entering by staff. Community members expressed skepticism toward federal agents’ claims about targets of enforcement, while local business owners described a sustained climate of fear among immigrant families and the closure of many immigrant-run businesses. Legal scrutiny intensified in federal court, where Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had violated dozens of court orders since the start of the year, warning that continued noncompliance could trigger personal court appearances by senior officials. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that two agents involved in the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti had been placed on leave, as residents and veterans gathered at a growing sidewalk memorial. Together, these developments underscored that while presidential messaging suggested de-escalation, Minneapolis continued to experience the full force of federal immigration enforcement, with lasting legal, social, and human consequences, as documented by the Associated Press.