End the Killings: States Must Unite to Stop Lawless ICE Operations

On January 24, 2026, federal immigration agents shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, on a public street in Minneapolis. Multiple verified videos show Pretti holding a phone, not a weapon, as agents pepper-sprayed him, forced him to the ground, disarmed him, and then fired repeatedly into his body. This killing followed another fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis just weeks earlier. Together, these deaths represent a terrifying escalation: heavily armed federal agents operating inside American cities with little regard for civilian safety, constitutional rights, or local authority. State and local officials in Minnesota have condemned these actions. Governors and mayors have warned that federal enforcement teams are acting with impunity, obstructing state investigations, and refusing to cooperate with lawful oversight. This is not law enforcement—it is a breakdown of accountability. While immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, states are not required to accept federal actions that endanger residents, undermine public trust, or interfere with state law enforcement and judicial processes. State governments retain significant power over cooperation, access, and authorization within their borders. I urge you, as a state legislator, to act immediately and in coordination with lawmakers across the country to form a unified response. Specifically, I ask that you: • Join with other states in formally opposing the continued deployment of ICE and related federal enforcement operations that have resulted in civilian deaths. • Adopt or support resolutions asserting state authority over cooperation with federal agents and rejecting operations that violate constitutional norms or public safety. • Protect the right of residents to record law enforcement activity in public spaces without fear of violence or retaliation. • Call on your governor to work with other governors—across party lines—to demand the withdrawal of ICE from states where its presence has led to bloodshed. Governor JB Pritzker has already called on governors and legislatures nationwide to stand together against what he described as lawlessness inflicted on the states. That call should not stand alone. When federal power is abused, the Constitution does not demand silence—it demands action. No American should be killed for filming law enforcement or helping another person off the ground. No state should be forced to tolerate federal agents who operate above the law. Unity among the states is not only justified—it is necessary. Please act now to help stop the killings and restore accountability.