The two federal agents who opened fire on a Veterans Affairs nurse in Minneapolis have been placed on leave, an official with the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday, as more voices, including some in the Republican Party, broke with the White House over its handling of the fatal shooting.
It was unclear if the department had taken any action regarding the other agents involved in the encounter with Alex Pretti, including those who had helped restrain him on the ground before the two agents fired about 10 bullets into his back and after he slumped onto the street.
On Sunday, Gregory Bovino, who was then overseeing President Donald Trump’s Border Patrol operations in the city, told CNN that the agents involved in Pretti’s shooting had been moved to other cities and would “more than likely be on administrative duty.” He and other officials stridently defended the killing, however, falsely describing Pretti’s actions before he was killed.
The revelation came as authorities in Minneapolis and the U.S. Capitol Police were investigating an attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat who represents parts of the city and has been a frequent target of criticism from Trump. A man sprayed her with an unknown substance during a public event Tuesday night as she criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
The attack was the latest reflection of the charged political climate over an aggressive federal immigration crackdown that has prompted an outpouring of anger in Minnesota and beyond.
Trump told ABC News on Tuesday night that he had not seen video footage of the attack on Omar but suggested without evidence that she had staged it. “I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” he said. “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”
Here’s what we’re covering:
<b>— The assault on Omar: </b>Omar was uninjured, initially moving toward her attacker with her fist raised before he was tackled by security officers. She resumed speaking after a brief pause, saying she would not be intimidated. Minneapolis police identified the suspect as Anthony J. Kazmierczak, 55. He was booked into the local jail on suspicion of assault.
— <strong>The Pretti shooting:</strong> Stephen Miller, a top aide to Trump, suggested that the agents who killed Pretti after he was restrained and disarmed “may not have been following” protocol. Miller’s statement came after earlier comments in which he and other Trump administration officials portrayed the shooting as justified and Pretti as a would-be assassin.
— <strong>Trump’s language:</strong> On Tuesday, Trump told Fox News that he might “de-escalate” his campaign against Minnesota and its Democratic leaders. But at a rally a few hours later, he embraced incendiary rhetoric, falsely describing thousands of people arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota as “hardened, vicious, horrible criminals” and anti-ICE demonstrators as “paid insurrectionists.”
— <strong>Impeachment calls:</strong> Trump briefly sidelined Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, this week after bipartisan backlash over her department’s portrayal of Pretti, only to quickly reaffirm his support and declare her job safe. On Tuesday, the top three House Democratic leaders joined more than 150 congressional Democrats in backing a bid to impeach her.
This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/28/us/minneapolis-shooting-ice-minnesota/heres-the-latest">The New York Times</a>.
ICE agents as they detain a man outside his home in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. President Donald Trump promised a “very honorable and honest investigation” into the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis amid a growing furor over the shooting that prompted him to shake up leadership of the immigration crackdown there. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
Minnesota State Police and other law enforcement officers disperse protesters from a hotel they believed housed ICE agents in Maple Grove, Minn., Jan. 26, 2026. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
Minnesota State Police and other law enforcement officers disperse protesters from a hotel they believed housed ICE agents in Maple Grove, Minn., Jan. 26, 2026. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
Minnesota State Police and other law enforcement officers disperse protesters from a hotel they believed housed ICE agents in Maple Grove, Minn., Jan. 26, 2026. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) visits a makeshift memorial for Alex Pretti at the spot where he was killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. Gov. Tim Walz’s office said Tom Homan, the White House border czar dispatched by President Trump to take over the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, had agreed on Tuesday to work toward ending what it said was a “campaign of retribution” against the state. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
School officials and Democratic members of the Minnesota State Legislature hold a news conference with signs reading “ICE out of our schools” at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. President Donald Trump promised a “very honorable and honest investigation” into the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis amid a growing furor over the shooting that prompted him to shake up leadership of the immigration crackdown there. (Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times)
JAMIE KELTER DAVIS
School officials and Democratic members of the Minnesota State Legislature hold a news conference with signs reading “ICE out of our schools” at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. President Donald Trump promised a “very honorable and honest investigation” into the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis amid a growing furor over the shooting that prompted him to shake up leadership of the immigration crackdown there. (Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times)
JAMIE KELTER DAVIS
ICE agents detain a main outside his home in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. President Donald Trump promised a “very honorable and honest investigation” into the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis amid a growing furor over the shooting that prompted him to shake up leadership of the immigration crackdown there. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
FILE — Federal agents detain a man along Lake Street in Minneapolis, Jan. 14, 2026. Federal officials have said that face coverings protect the agents and their families from retaliation, such as having their home address or contact information shared online. But the practice runs counter to protocols for most other law enforcement personnel. (Todd Heisler/The New York Times)
TODD HEISLER
In an image provided by Danniela Monzon, Ramon Menera, left, is questioned by immigration agents who told him they were asking for documentation because of his accent. Menera told The New York Times that he is a U.S. citizen and that the agents released him after he provided them with his passport card. (Danniela Monzon via The New York Times) — NO SALES. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY WITH STORY DEPORT EXPLAINER by SHAO, LAJKA, ROSALES and SAHA of JAN. 27, 2026. ALL OTHER USE PROHIBITED. —
Danniela Monzon
Federal agents confront protestors in Minneapolis, near the site where federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. For weeks, residents have documented the scenes unfolding in Minnesota. The videos have circulated widely and intensified outrage and fear among many Minnesotans. (David Guttenfelder/The New York Times)
DAVID GUTTENFELDER
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), left, visits a makeshift memorial for Alex Pretti at the spot where he was killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. Gov. Tim Walz’s office said Tom Homan, the White House border czar dispatched by President Trump to take over the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, had agreed on Tuesday to work toward ending what it said was a “campaign of retribution” against the state. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
Graffiti outside a federal immigration detention center in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, one day after a man attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) with an unknown substance during a public event the previous evening in the city. The attack was the latest reflection of the charged political climate over an aggressive federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota that has prompted an outpouring of anger. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
A man is held back after trying to attack Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) during a town hall in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
ICE agents detain a man outside his home in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. President Donald Trump promised a “very honorable and honest investigation” into the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis amid a growing furor over the shooting that prompted him to shake up leadership of the immigration crackdown there. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
Minnesota State Police and other law enforcement officers disperse protesters from a hotel they believed housed ICE agents in Maple Grove, Minn., Jan. 26, 2026. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
A man is held back after trying to attack Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) during a town hall in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE
Graffiti outside a federal immigration detention center in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, one day after a man attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) with an unknown substance during a public event the previous evening in the city. The attack was the latest reflection of the charged political climate over an aggressive federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota that has prompted an outpouring of anger. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times)
VICTOR J. BLUE