1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern about Senator Ron Johnson's response to the killing of Alex Pretti, an American citizen and VA nurse who was shot and killed by federal immigration officers in Minnesota on January 25, 2026. Rather than demanding accountability for federal agents who killed an unarmed citizen, Senator Johnson is blaming Democrats and protestors for the violence. Video evidence contradicts the initial claims made by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem that Pretti brandished a weapon and attempted to attack federal agents. An internal report also refutes these accusations. Yet Senator Johnson characterized Pretti's death as predictable, stating "You could have predicted these deaths" and claiming Democrats wanted "martyrs." This is the second fatal shooting by federal officers in Minnesota this month, following the killing of Renee Good on January 7. Senator Johnson's rhetoric is dangerous and misplaced. He accused Democrats of encouraging a "resistance movement" and claimed "these things just don't happen" without being "ginned up by somebody on the left." This blame-shifting ignores the fundamental issue: federal officers killed two people in Minnesota within three weeks, including an American citizen and veteran healthcare worker. Citizens have a constitutional right to peacefully protest government actions without being characterized as instigators of their own deaths. The Senate is expected to vote this week on a funding bill that includes $64.4 billion for DHS, with $10 billion designated for ICE. The government faces a partial shutdown if the bill doesn't pass by January 30. Senator Johnson refuses to negotiate on separating DHS funding from the spending package, yet offers no accountability measures for the agency whose officers have killed two people this month. I urge you to demand a full independent investigation into both killings and to support separating DHS funding from the spending bill until meaningful accountability measures are established. Federal agents must be held to the same standards as any law enforcement officer who kills a citizen.