The White House deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, acknowledged on January 30, 2024, that border agents involved in the shooting of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, “may not have been following” established protocols during the incident. Pretti, who was 37 years old, was fatally shot by agents from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) while he was participating in a protest against immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
Miller’s admission came in response to significant bipartisan criticism regarding the circumstances surrounding Pretti’s death on January 24. Initially, Miller had labeled Pretti an “assassin” and a “domestic terrorist.” In his latest statement to The Post, he indicated that the White House had previously directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deploy additional personnel to Minnesota for force protection. According to Miller, this personnel was intended for conducting fugitive operations, not to engage directly with protesters.
“We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol,” Miller stated. This inquiry follows an initial review by DHS that reported Pretti and another unidentified woman were asked multiple times to clear the street before the confrontation escalated.
Video footage of the incident revealed that at least ten shots were fired during the altercation. Reports indicate that Pretti was armed with a loaded Sig Sauer pistol when the situation intensified. As CBP officers attempted to take him into custody, he reportedly resisted, prompting a Border Patrol agent to shout, “He’s got a gun!” Just moments later, gunfire erupted.
The shooting marks the second fatality of an anti-immigration enforcement protester in Minnesota within a span of 17 days, raising alarms about the level of force used by law enforcement in such encounters. This has sparked calls for a thorough investigation into the tactics employed by border agents.
Miller’s earlier comments regarding Pretti’s intentions have also come under scrutiny. He clarified that his statements, along with those of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which suggested Pretti aimed to cause harm, were based on initial reports from CBP officials on the ground at the time of the incident.
As investigations continue, the focus now turns to the practices and protocols in place for border agents during protests, as well as the broader implications for law enforcement engagement in civil disturbances.
