Massachusetts groups, politicians express anger over fatal Minneapolis shooting, Governor Healey calls on Noem to resign

BY SAM DRYSDALE

Jan. 26, 2026…..Gov. Maura Healey demanded Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem resign on Monday, following outrage that erupted around the nation this weekend after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital, was killed Saturday during an encounter with with federal immigration agents amid a surge of Immigration Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol activity in Minnesota. He was the second U.S. citizen fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis this month; Renee Nicole Good was killed earlier during a separate encounter.

Videos of Pretti’s death show a chaotic scuffle with several ICE agents moments before shots were fired.

Healey on Monday escalated her criticism of the administration, calling on Noem to resign, alleging agencies under her purview are “harming public safety.”

“Kristi Noem has got to go. Kristi Noem’s got to go,” she said during a press conference.

“It is just an example of how out of control ICE is,” Healey said. “We have people who are clearly untrained who work for ICE … So my heart goes out to Alex Pretti, to his co-workers, and I really hope Americans take this in and understand the very sad and dangerous moment we’ve reached in this country.”

Healey referenced an internal ICE memo made public last week that directs agents to use force to enter a residence with only an administrative warrant, which are signed by ICE officials and do not require a judge’s approval.

“That basically said, throw away everything we’ve done for 250 years. Throw away the Fourth Amendment. You have the right to go into someone’s home,” Healey said. “As governor of Massachusetts that infuriates me, because 250 years ago it was a lawyer named James Otis who stood before a court here in the commonwealth and said it is wrong for British soldiers to be able to go into people’s homes without a warrant and ransack their property. That’s what led John Adams to write the Massachusetts Constitution, which said that’s wrong, and people have a right, and that right later appeared in the United States Constitution.”

Federal officials defended the actions of the U.S. Border Patrol agents involved in Pretti’s killing.

The Department of Homeland Security said agents acted in self-defense. Noem said Pretti “approached” officers with a “9mm semi-automatic handgun” and “reacted violently” when they tried to disarm him, prompting an officer to fire “defensive shots.” White House adviser Stephen Miller escalated the rhetoric, calling Pretti a “a would-be assassin” who “tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists.”

Those assertions were sharply rejected by Democratic officials in Massachusetts, many of whom cited the video footage of Pretti holding a cellphone, not a gun, in his hand. They also said Pretti had already been disarmed and was laying on the ground when he was shot. Healey said there were “lies” and “efforts to smear Alex Pretti and who he was” after his killing.

“With the repulsive murder of Alex Pretti, the Trump Administration has further demonstrated that it views American citizens exercising their Constitutional rights as a threat,” Senate President Karen Spilka said. “It is impossible to overstate how dangerous this is.”

Congressman Bill Keating urged the public to “watch the videos,” and “count the shots” saying, “The statements by Trump officials are false on their face.”

Congressman Jim McGovern said he was “so goddamn angry,” accusing Noem and Miller of trying to portray “the man who was murdered… as somehow a domestic terrorist.”

Congressman Seth Moulton, a Marine veteran, appeared on MSNBC and CNN to discuss the killing.

On MSNBC, he said, “This is Gestapo type stuff happening in the streets of America.” Asked about Miller’s comments, Moulton replied, “No, Stephen Miller is a domestic terrorist.”

Moulton also warned that fear is spreading in Massachusetts communities. “Everywhere I go… people are scared. People are really scared, and they’re scared for good reason,” he said, adding that the administration’s actions were intended to “terrorize blue cities across America.”

Congressman Lori Trahan said, “The brutal murders of two American citizens in Minneapolis made clear that the communities ICE enters are less safe than they were before,” and argued that if Trump would not fire Noem, “Congress must step in and remove her.” Congressman Jake Auchincloss said, “Public safety is the first duty of government,” calling ICE “an active threat” and demanding a “thorough investigation.”

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey tied Pretti’s killing to the fight over the Department of Homeland Security budget. “Congress must stop the violence by ICE, not bankroll it,” Warren said, arguing that funding for DHS and ICE should be stripped out of a government spending package and debated as a standalone bill.

Senate Democrats have made clear they will oppose any appropriations legislation that includes DHS funding without significant reforms, a stance that has put pressure on party leaders and raised the prospect of a partial government shutdown when current funding expires at the end of the month.

Democratic opposition has grown even among senators who previously helped avert a shutdown, with several saying they will vote “no” on the DHS funding bill as it stands, leaving the measure unable to garner the 60 votes needed to proceed in the Senate without changes.

Markey called Pretti’s killing “a classic example of excessive use of force” and warned that the country was “descending into authoritarianism day by day.”

Outside elected office, advocacy groups also weighed in.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association condemned what it called the “unwarranted and brutal killing of Alex Pretti,” saying he was gunned down while “engaging in his lawful right to observe and document.”

The Metro Mayors Coalition described the ICE surge as a “militarized invasion” that was eroding community trust and public safety.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, President Donald Trump declined to directly say whether the Border Patrol agent who shot Pretti did the right thing, saying, “We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination.”

He added, “I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it,” while criticizing Pretti for attending a protest while armed, adding, “But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn’t play good either.”

The president also signaled that immigration enforcement officers would leave Minneapolis “at some point” but offered no timeline, and said his administration was considering how to “review everything” about the incident as it unfolds.

At the same time, some Republicans have called for deeper scrutiny.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino of New York said his “top priority remains keeping Americans safe.” Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana called the shooting “incredibly disturbing” and said “the credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake,” urging “a full joint federal and state investigation.” Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina called for a “thorough and impartial investigation.”

Sam Drysdale is a reporter for State House News Service and State Affairs Pro. Reach her at sdrysdale@statehousenews.com.