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Human Rights· By ARMSMA

Two US citizens killed, two versions of events: what happened during the Minneapolis immigration surge?

At about 9:30 a.m. on 7 January 2026, near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue in south Minneapolis, a federal immigration agent fired three shots through the driver's window of a red vehicle. The driver, Renee Nicole Good, 37, died in hospital, FOX 9 reported.

Seventeen days later, on 24 January, federal agents shot dead Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive-care nurse, in the city's Whittier neighbourhood (MPR News). Both were US citizens.

The two killings happened during what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called "the largest DHS operation ever". They turned a federal immigration operation into a test of a basic question: when federal agents use deadly force in a US city, who investigates, and who gets to see the evidence?

What was Operation Metro Surge?

The operation began in December 2025, when Minnesota became the focus of the administration's deportation efforts, according to the Minnesota Reformer. About 3,000 federal immigration agents were deployed.

Federal officials said roughly 4,000 people were arrested. Border czar Tom Homan could not say how many of those were targeted arrests of people considered a safety threat. By mid-February, immigration agents had shot three people since December, killing two (Minnesota Reformer).

What happened to Renee Good?

The federal and local accounts contradict each other. Federal officials said ICE officers were "conducting targeted operations" when "rioters" blocked them. They said one of them "weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over law enforcement officers", and that the agent, "fearing for his life", fired "defensive shots" (FOX 9).

Witnesses told FOX 9 a different story. They said an agent stood on each side of the vehicle and a third tried to open the driver's door. Then an agent who had stepped back fired. One witness said the vehicle "wasn't moving toward the agents". Mayor Jacob Frey publicly rejected the self-defence claim.

Videos taken from several angles circulated online and were interpreted in conflicting ways. One shows the vehicle partly blocking the road as agents approach; the driver tries to drive away and the agent fires three shots. Police said the driver was struck in the head (FOX 9).

Who was allowed to investigate?

At first, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) was to review the use of force together with the FBI. The US Attorney's Office reversed that decision, and the BCA withdrew, saying it lacked "complete access to the evidence, witnesses and information collected" (FOX 9).

That dispute did not go away. In February, Minnesota leaders pressed for more access to evidence. On 24 March 2026 the state sued the federal government to obtain evidence in the shootings, saying federal officials had repeatedly declined to share it. In July, federal authorities handed over previously withheld evidence connected to the shootings of three Minnesotans, according to MPR News.

What happened to Alex Pretti?

The agents involved in the 24 January shooting were from the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin told NBC News. DHS said an agent shot Pretti in self-defence after he "violently resisted attempts to disarm him".

Eyewitness videos from various angles "appear to contradict elements" of that account, NBC News reported. DHS said its investigators had footage from body cameras worn by several agents. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said "every video will be analyzed".

On 2 February the Hennepin County Medical Examiner found that Pretti died of multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide, according to MPR News.

How did Minneapolis respond?

On the evening of Good's death, hundreds gathered at the scene to mourn her, and others protested at City Hall. The next morning, outside the federal building that houses the regional ICE headquarters, officers pushed into the crowd and threw several people to the ground, and federal authorities appeared to use chemical irritants. DHS said 11 protesters were arrested there on assault and obstruction charges. Minneapolis Public Schools cancelled classes for the rest of the week (FOX 9).

Good's death set off anti-ICE demonstrations in Minneapolis and other US cities, NBC News reported. After Pretti was killed, Governor Tim Walz blamed "untrained" federal agents. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino blamed local protesters and officials for "vilifying" agents and called the death a "preventable tragedy".

Is the surge over?

Homan arrived after Pretti's killing and replaced Bovino. On 12 February he announced that the surge would wind down quickly. A week later, trackers reported much less federal immigration activity, although ICE operations continued, according to the Minnesota Reformer.

What we do not know

  • What the full evidence shows. Body-camera footage exists in the Pretti case, but it has not been described publicly in the sources we used.
  • The outcome of the investigations. None of our sources reports a charging decision in either killing as of September 2026.
  • How many of the about 4,000 people arrested were the targeted safety threats the operation was said to pursue. Homan himself could not say.

What to watch

Pretti's family was still calling for accountability in August, and in September attorneys said federal investigators had interviewed a witness to his shooting (MPR News). The next step is a decision by prosecutors. That decision will show whether a state can obtain a full, independent account when federal agents kill its residents.

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