Minneapolis live updates: DOJ launches investigation into Pretti killing, Deputy AG Blanche says

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem made her first public comments since Saturday.

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Last updated: Sunday, February 1, 2026 12:00AM GMT
Trump's border czar suggests a possible drawdown in Minnesota, but only after 'cooperation'

MINNEAPOLIS -- A 37-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday morning in Minneapolis -- the second shooting of a U.S. citizen this month by federal agents in the city.

The shooting of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, ratcheted up tensions, as protesters clashed in the streets with law enforcement in the aftermath of the shooting.

The incident followed the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, on Jan. 7.

The shooting of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, ratcheted up tensions, as protesters clashed in the streets with law enforcement in the aftermath of the shooting.

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Jan 27, 2026, 2:05 PM GMT

Judge orders ICE chief to appear in court to explain why detainees have been denied due process

The chief federal judge in Minnesota says the Trump administration has failed to comply with orders to hold hearings for detained immigrants and ordered the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appear before him Friday to explain why he shouldn't be held in contempt.

In an order dated Monday, Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz said Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, must appear personally in court. Schlitz took the administration to task over its handling of bond hearings for immigrants it has detained.

"This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result," the judge wrote.

The order comes a day after President Donald Trump ordered border czar Tom Homan to take over his administration's immigration crackdown in Minnesota following the second death this month of person at the hands of an immigration law enforcement officer.

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Jan 27, 2026, 11:57 AM GMT

Sister of Alex Pretti says he was kind, generous and lit up every room

The younger sister of Alex Pretti issued a statement Monday memorializing her big brother's kindness and criticizing "disgusting lies" told in the wake of his death.

Micayla Pretti called her brother a hero and thanked everyone who had reached out to the family with messages or posts she described as sharing the overwhelming positivity that reflected his character, work ethic and passions.

"All Alex ever wanted was to help someone - anyone," she said. "Even in his very last moments on this earth, he was simply trying to do just that."

Flowers are left at a makeshift memorial in the area where Alex Pretti was shot dead a day earlier by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 25, 2026.
Flowers are left at a makeshift memorial in the area where Alex Pretti was shot dead a day earlier by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 25, 2026.

Alex Pretti was an intensive care nurse, and through his work at the Veterans Administration, "he touched more lives than he probably ever realized," his sister said.

She lamented how some have portrayed her brother.

"When does this end? How many more innocent lives must be lost before we say enough?" Micayla Pretti asked. "Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching."

Jan 27, 2026, 4:04 AM GMT

Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino returning to position in El Centro: sources

Customs and Border Protection commander-at-large Greg Bovino is returning to El Centro, California, to resume his duties as chief of that sector, multiple sources told ABC News.

The position of commander-at-large was a temporary position.

Dept. of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Monday that Bovino "has NOT been relieved of his duties," referring to him as a "key part of the President's team and a great American."

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Jan 27, 2026, 12:27 AM GMT

Texas Governor Abbott says White House needs to 'recalibrate' ICE efforts in Minnesota

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been a strong supporter of Trump's crackdown on immigration, said Monday the White House needs to "recalibrate" what it is doing in Minnesota.

Abbott spoke with conservative radio host Mark Davis and said immigration agents deserve respect as law enforcement.

FILE - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington.
FILE - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington.

Abbott said he believes the White House is working on a "game plan" for immigration agents to "go about their job in a more structured way to make sure that they are going to be able to remove these people, but without causing all the kinds of problems and fighting in communities that they are experiencing right now."

Abbott also blamed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor for not doing enough to calm the situation on the ground.