Healthcare groups and leaders are speaking out about the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old registered nurse, by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.
The shooting follows another fatal encounter between Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and a Minnesota resident earlier this month. On Jan. 7, federal agents shot and killed Renee Good during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, leading to a wave of protests and scrutiny of agents’ conduct in the city.
In an open letter, the CEOs of more than 60 Minnesota-based companies called for “an immediate deescalation of tensions” following the killing of Mr. Pretti. Signatories included major health systems and insurers such as Allina Health, BCBS Minnesota, CentraCare, Children’s Minnesota, Essentia Health, Fairview Health Services, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, HealthPartners, Mayo Clinic, Medica, Prime Therapeutics and UnitedHealth Group.
“We have been working for generations to build a strong and vibrant state here in Minnesota and will do so in the months and years ahead with equal and even greater commitment,” the group wrote. “In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future.”
The Department of Homeland Security said Jan. 25 Mr. Pretti approached agents with a handgun and “violently resisted” when officers attempted to disarm him. However, no public video footage shows Mr. Pretti holding a weapon at the scene, and an immigration agent removed his firearm just before the shooting, according to CNN. Minneapolis police have said he was legally permitted to carry a gun.
Mr. Pretti had worked as an intensive care unit nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center for about five years, CNN reported. In a statement issued Jan. 24, the American Nurses Association said it was “deeply disturbed” by the death and condemned the violence.
“The seriousness of this incident and others demand transparency and accountability. ANA calls for a full, unencumbered investigation, and urges that findings be shared promptly and clearly so Alex’s loved ones and the public have answers.”
National Nurses United, the nation’s largest union of registered nurses, called for an “immediate abolition of ICE” in a Jan. 24 statement shared with Becker’s.
“The nation’s nurses, who make it their mission to care for and save human lives, are horrified and outraged that immigration agents have once again committed cold-blooded murder of a public observer who posed no threat to them,” the union wrote. “We demand justice and accountability for his murder.”
According to Minnesota state lawmakers and media reports, ICE agents have been active inside hospitals since the start of the year, including issuing a subpoena to Minneapolis-based Hennepin Healthcare for employee I-9 forms.
“Hospitals provide medically appropriate care regardless of citizenship or legal status, as required by federal and state law. That has not changed,” the Minnesota Hospital Association said in a Jan. 15 statement to Becker’s. “Hospitals are not immigration or law-enforcement agencies and do not enforce criminal, civil, or immigration laws. When law-enforcement agencies are present in healthcare settings, hospitals manage those interactions through established, security-led and legally informed protocols designed to protect patient care and privacy, staff safety and the stability of the care environment.”
