Local NJ Leaders Speak Out After US Immigration Officers Kill Alex Pretti in Minneapolis
Democratic officials raise concerns about accountability, transparency, and federal enforcement practices following the incident.
Alex Pretti in an official portrait released by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
Chris Howell | January 26, 2026
***Updated: January 27, 12:00 AM.***
Democratic elected officials representing Central Jersey and beyond have issued public statements condemning a second fatal shooting involving US Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, calling the incident deeply disturbing and raising concerns about accountability, transparency, and public trust.
The statements reviewed by The Central Jerseyan came from Democratic officials at the county, municipal, state, and federal levels.
As of publication, The Central Jerseyan had not identified any public statements from Republican elected officials in New Jersey responding to the incident.
The fatal shooting occurred Saturday in Minneapolis during a federal immigration enforcement operation, just ahead of a major winter storm that later disrupted travel and news coverage across much of the Midwest and Northeast.
According to multiple reports, federal officers shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti during an encounter on a city street. It’s the second deadly shooting this month involving the federal immigration operation in Minneapolis, following the death of 37-year-old Renee Good.
The Department of Homeland Security said officers fired in self-defense after confronting an individual they said was armed and posed an immediate threat.
That account has drawn scrutiny. Videos posted on social media and witness statements to multiple news outlets conflict with DHS’s version of events.
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The shooting sparked protests and vigils in Minneapolis and around the country, and prompted reactions from elected officials, including leaders in New Jersey.
Several officials directly challenged how DHS described the encounter and the credibility of its public statements.
Rahway Mayor Raymond Giacobbe cited video and eyewitness accounts he said contradict the federal narrative.
“Official statements from the Department of Homeland Security claim that Pretti approached officers with a firearm and resisted attempts to disarm him. But multiple videos and eyewitness accounts indicate he was holding a phone, not a weapon,” Giacobbe wrote.
At the county level, the Middlesex County Democratic Organization shared a statement from Chairman Kevin P. McCabe sharply criticizing the federal response.
“Despite clear video evidence, this administration’s response was to try to convince us of things our eyes and ears clearly tell us are not true, and refuse to independently investigate the matter,” McCabe said.
Other leaders framed the shooting as part of a broader pattern they say has destabilized communities and raised alarms about immigration enforcement tactics.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill described the operation as reckless and said it reflected a loss of federal control.
“His death is a tragedy — and the result of a reckless operation where federal leaders have clearly lost control,” Sherrill wrote.
“These untrained, masked agents aren’t making communities safer — they’re occupying cities, inciting violence, and violating the Constitution.”
U.S. Sen. Andy Kim said the incident reflects a national breakdown.
“This is all spiraling out of control,” Kim wrote. “He has brought chaos and fear and made all of us less safe. This needs to stop now.”
A third set of responses emphasized the need for independent review and warned against accepting federal explanations without outside investigation.
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker addressed the issue directly in a post on X.
“Trump and [DHS Secretary Kristi Noem] are asking you not to believe what you can see with your own eyes,” Booker wrote.
Former President Barack Obama echoed the call for accountability while stopping short of disputing specific facts.
“That’s not what we’re seeing in Minnesota,” he adds. “In fact, we’re seeing the opposite.”
ICE and Border Patrol agents on Nicollet Avenue on January 24, 2026. This follows the shooting death of Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti. Pretti is the second person killed and the third person shot by federal agents in Minneapolis in January. (Credit: Chad Davis)
Public reaction in New Jersey extended beyond statements from elected officials, with protests held across the state on Monday following Pretti’s killing.
In Cranford, residents gathered at 1 p.m. at the downtown gazebo, about an hour after Gov. Sherrill lifted the state of emergency declared during Sunday’s snowstorm. The rally was organized by local Democrats and drew community members protesting federal immigration enforcement tactics. Photos shared by organizers show demonstrators holding signs opposing ICE and Border Patrol actions, with speakers raising concerns about accountability and civil rights.
Additional protests were reported Monday in Newark and Jersey City, reflecting broader unrest following the Minneapolis shooting and earlier enforcement actions this month.
Political organizations also weighed in. The Ocean County Young Democrats released a statement Monday evening condemning the shooting of Pretti and the earlier killing of Renee Good, calling for accountability and urging residents to organize, learn their rights, and oppose what the group described as unchecked federal enforcement violence.
Nationally, Republican officials have issued differing responses to the Minneapolis shooting, with some defending federal agents and others calling for investigations. The Central Jerseyan did not identify any public statements from Republican elected officials in New Jersey addressing the incident as of publication.
*** Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include new information.***