President Trump is shifting his administration’s approach to federal immigration operations in Minnesota after the killing of Alex Pretti, with his team signaling possible reductions in the federal agent footprint and a push to let state investigators take a lead role in examining the shooting.
In a statement shared by Minnesota officials, Gov. Tim Walz said he spoke directly with Trump and pressed for “impartial investigations” into Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, along with a reduction in the number of federal personnel deployed in the state. Walz said Trump agreed to look into scaling back the federal presence and to talk with the Department of Homeland Security about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension can conduct an independent investigation, “as would ordinarily be the case,” as reported by FOX 9.
At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt described a separate track focused on immigration enforcement priorities, writing on X that Trump urged Minnesota’s top Democratic leaders — including Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey — to turn over “criminal illegal aliens” in state and local custody to federal authorities and to increase cooperation between local police and federal immigration agents. Leavitt also said Trump wants Congress to pass legislation to end sanctuary cities and cited polling claims that she said show broad support for deporting immigrants convicted of violent crimes.
Meanwhile, media reports say Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino and several agents could leave Minneapolis and return to their assigned sectors after criticism of the federal response to Pretti’s death. The reporting also describes frustration inside the White House over public messaging that labeled Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and claimed he had brandished a weapon — assertions that critics say are not supported by available video. One account described Bovino’s departure as a “mutual decision,” as reported by WUSA9.
Pretti’s killing has intensified political pressure on the administration and fueled calls for accountability over the federal operation in Minneapolis — including demands that state authorities be allowed full access to evidence and investigative steps typically handled in officer-involved shooting cases.
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