Political leader and voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams used her platform on Assembly Required on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, to sharply criticize federal immigration enforcement actions tied to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
She said the fatal incident was the “latest ICE killing” that should wake up Americans to confront the broader implications of the government’s use of force.
Abrams’ remarks were made during an episode titled “The Killing of Alex Pretti and the ICE Invasion of Minneapolis” on YouTube, where she placed the tragedy in the context of previous episodes of police and federal violence that have sparked public outcry and protest.
“This is now the legacy and the philosophy of any member of the Republican ruling party that does not denounce these deaths and demand their end,” Abrams said, referencing both the shooting of Pretti on Jan. 24 and a separate fatal encounter earlier in the month involving another civilian, Renee Good, also killed by federal immigration agents.
The deaths have fueled protests across Minnesota and drawn attention to tensions around immigration policy and enforcement in the United States.
Abrams drew direct parallels to past moments of national reckoning, notably the protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, when widespread public demonstrations demanded systemic reform and accountability for police violence.
“We keep waiting for their decision to bring us salvation,” Abrams said, adding that Pretti acted without hesitation in the face of perceived injustice, and that silence in response to such killings risks eroding civic values.
Local and national protests have continued in the days following Pretti’s killing, with demonstrators calling for significant policy changes, accountability for law enforcement actions, and an end to aggressive immigration enforcement operations by agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol.
Multiple cities, including Minneapolis, San Francisco and Boston, have seen demonstrations as part of ongoing anti-ICE actions, with chants and marches calling for justice and structural reform.
The controversy over Pretti’s death has been amplified by video evidence and eyewitness reports showing the 37-year-old intensive care nurse being shot during an encounter with federal agents after filming their actions; human rights groups have questioned the justification for lethal force.
Abrams’ call to action reflects broader debates in American society about the role of federal agencies in civil enforcement, the use of force in public spaces, and the accountability mechanisms governing interactions between law enforcement and the communities they serve. (Click here to watch a shorter version of Abrams’ delivery on Instagram)
