Barack Obama, Michelle Obama call Alex Pretti killing wake-up call

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama said the killing of Alex Peretti was a national wake-up call, arguing that federal immigration agents in Minnesota are using tactics to intimidate and endanger residents while operating without adequate accountability.

In their joint statement on Sunday, the Obama family linked Pretty’s death to weeks of escalated federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, which has sparked protests, arguments and clashes between local residents and agents, saying the broader response to his shooting shows how the tactics used have widened divisions and heightened tensions across the country.

Pretty, 37, a Minneapolis resident and Veterans Affairs intensive care unit nurse, was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent during an early morning immigration enforcement operation targeting Jose Huerta Choma, an undocumented immigrant with a criminal history, federal officials said.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said Pretty approached agents armed with a 9mm handgun and “resisted violently” when officers attempted to disarm him. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and state officials said he had a valid permit to carry a firearm.

A shooting involving the Border Patrol was reported in Minneapolis

The Obama family described the shooting as a broader warning, and urged Americans to consider what they described as the broader repercussions and repercussions of the incident.

“The killing of Alex Peretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also serve as a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, because many of our core values ​​as a nation are under increasing attack,” the Obama family said. “Federal law enforcement and immigration agents face a difficult job. But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a lawful and accountable manner, working with state and local officials, not against them, to ensure public safety.”

The Obamas said that’s not what they’re seeing in Minnesota, saying they’re seeing the opposite.

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A screenshot from a video shows a law enforcement officer spraying irritants on Alex Peretti before he was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026. (Reuters)

“For weeks now, people across the country have been outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruiters and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that appear designed to intimidate, harass, provoke, and endanger the residents of a major American city,” they said. “These unprecedented tactics — which even the former top lawyer for the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration called embarrassing, lawless, and cruel — have now led to the shooting deaths of two American citizens.”

The statement continued, accusing the Trump administration and Department of Homeland Security officials of failing to impose “some semblance of discipline and accountability” on the agents deployed in Minnesota, and instead appearing “eager to escalate the situation.”

The Obamas also took aim at the Trump administration’s public explanations for the deaths of both Pretty and Renee Goode — the latter a Minneapolis mother of three who was shot and killed on Jan. 7 by an ICE agent during a federal enforcement action — suggesting that officials were drawing conclusions without conducting thorough investigations and before fully reviewing all the evidence.

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Federal agents fire tear gas at protesters on January 24, 2026 in Minneapolis. Earlier that day, agents allegedly shot and killed a protester amid a scuffle to arrest him. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

“This has to stop,” the Obamas said. “I hope that after this latest tragedy, administration officials will reconsider their approach and begin to find ways to work constructively with the governor.” [Tim] Walz and Mayor [Jacob] Frye as well as state and local police to avoid further chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals.”

They also encouraged Americans to support the protests in Minneapolis and across the country.

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“In the meantime, every American should support and be inspired by the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country,” the statement added. “It is a timely reminder that it is up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our fundamental freedoms, and hold our government accountable.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Obama family for further comment.