Minneapolis, MN – Minnesota business leaders and elected officials are responding after the killing of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old ICU nurse shot and killed during protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an incident that multiple public officials are now explicitly calling a murder.
In a joint open letter released this week, CEOs and executives from dozens of Minnesota-based corporations — including 3M, Target, Best Buy, Cargill, Medtronic, General Mills, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota — called for “immediate de-escalation of tensions” following what they described as “tragic news” impacting the state.
The letter urges federal, state, and local officials to work together to restore stability and allow businesses, employees, and communities to “resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future.” The statement does not address accountability or the actions of ICE agents directly, focusing instead on calm, coordination, and continuity.
At the same time, political leaders are using far sharper language.
In a widely shared statement, Republican Gov. Phil Scott said it is “not acceptable for American citizens to be killed by federal agents for exercising their constitutional rights to protest,” adding that federal immigration operations have resulted in the “murder of Americans.”
Several Democratic lawmakers echoed that framing, calling for impeachment proceedings against federal officials overseeing ICE and demanding independent investigations, the release of all body-camera footage, and criminal accountability.
Pretti’s death has become a flashpoint nationally. Images of the nurse with his dog, Joule, have circulated widely, humanizing the victim as outrage continues to spread across social media and protests intensify.
As corporate leaders urge calm and officials escalate their language, pressure is mounting on federal authorities to answer a central question protesters continue to ask: why an American citizen was shot dead while protesting.
