Protests spread as Trump and Walz clash over ICE in Minnesota

Protests grew in Minneapolis and other big U.S. cities on Sunday after immigration officials shot and killed a nurse. The tragedy made the public fight between President Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over the future of federal enforcement operations in the state even worse.

In Minneapolis, where it was freezing, hundreds of people protested the death of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, who was shot by immigration authorities on Saturday. People also marched in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco with signs that included "Justice for Alex" and "Abolish ICE".

Walz asserted that the nation had reached a critical juncture and urged President Trump to remove federal immigration agents from Minneapolis. Trump told Walz to "turn over all criminal illegal aliens" in state jails and told Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to "formally cooperate" with his administration.

The Trump administration has called Pretti a "domestic terrorist". Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, alleged that he was shot because he was "brandishing" a gun. Local officials disagree with that story, noting that the gun was lawfully registered, not being displayed, and had been taken away before Pretti was shot.

Brian O'Hara, the police chief of Minneapolis, told the BBC that federal officials stopped state authorities from getting to the site, even though they had a search order. He claimed the event made it harder for state and federal entities to collaborate, which has been going on for "several years."

Federal officials fought back. Greg Bovino, the head of the Border Patrol, said that O'Hara and Frey were trying to stop federal activities. Last Monday, the Justice Department sent subpoenas to Walz, Frey, and Attorney General Keith Ellison, saying they worked together to make it harder for immigration agents to do their jobs after a deadly shooting on January 7.

Trump told The Wall Street Journal in an interview that came out on Sunday that federal officers might depart the Minneapolis area at some point. He remarked, "At some point we will leave," and the administration was "reviewing everything" about Pretti's death and would "come out with a determination." He remarked, "At some point we will leave," and that the administration was "reviewing everything" about Pretti's death and would "come out with a determination".

Trump told Walz, Frey, and "EVERY Democrat governor and mayor in the United States" to work with his administration on Truth Social. He also told Congress to remove sanctuary cities, which make it harder for local governments to work with federal immigration officials.

More and more people in Trump's own party are speaking out against him. Kevin Stitt, the governor of Oklahoma, told CNN that voters were worried about "federal tactics and accountability". Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana said the incident was "incredibly disturbing" and that "the credibility of ICE and DHS is at stake."

If the government funding bill includes money for the Department of Homeland Security, Democrats have said they will block it. This makes another shutdown more likely.

More than 60 corporations in Minnesota, such as 3M, Best Buy, and Target, signed an open letter asking for "an immediate de-escalation of tensions" and for local and federal leaders to work together.

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