From left: Former US President Bill Clinton, Minnesota resident Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse who was fatally shot by federal law enforcement agents on January 24, and former US President Barack Obama. Photos: VCG

US President Donald Trump claimed his administration is "reviewing everything" regarding the fatal shootings of two US citizens by federal agents in Minnesota this month, while former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton on Sunday condemned the large-scale immigration enforcement operation in the state for leaving two dead, escalating local tensions, and widening federal-local rifts, according to media reports.

In a telephone interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump declined to directly comment on whether the federal officer who fatally shot a man in Minnesoda had acted appropriately. He claimed his administration is "looking" and "reviewing everything" about the incident, adding that they "will come out with a determination."

According to the Xinhua News Agency, a Minnesota resident was fatally shot by federal law enforcement agents on Saturday, prompting protests and raising tensions in the community. The victim was identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse and US citizen who lived in Minneapolis, the state's largest city. According to a statement from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the shooting occurred during an enforcement operation in which federal officers encountered an individual believed to be armed.

However, bystander videos posted online appear to contradict the federal account. The footage appears to show Pretti holding a mobile phone as he attempted to help a woman pushed to the ground by federal agents. No footage appears to show a weapon in his hand. The videos show Pretti being pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the ground before multiple shots were fired, Xinhua reported.

Clinton said in a statement on social media platform X on Sunday local time that the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions were "unacceptable." He urged Americans to "stand up" and "speak out," saying this was how to show that "our country still belongs to the people."

"Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them," he wrote.

Earlier that same day, the Obamas posted a lengthy statement on X: "The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault."

In the statement, the Obamas condemned the federal government's immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, saying: "And yet rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they've deployed, the President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation."

Sky News described it in its headline as a "rare political statement condemning Trump over Alex Pretti shooting."

In addition to criticism from former presidents targeting the current administration, some lawmakers have called for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen urged the impeachment of Noem, stating that she believes Noem is attempting to "mislead the American public" on this matter. 

In a statement provided to the Associated Press, Rosen described Noem's leadership of the Department of Homeland Security over the past year as "an abject failure," adding: "The abuse of power we have witnessed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents is the latest proof that she has lost control of her department and its personnel." Rosen further called Noem's conduct "deeply shameful" and said she "must be impeached and removed from office immediately."

AP's report also indicates that before Rosen issued her statement, another Democratic senator, Ed Markey, had already called for Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against Noem.

Previously, according to a report by Axios on January 13, more than 50 Democratic House members had jointly signed on to articles of impeachment against Noem. According to the latest AP reporting, a House resolution to initiate impeachment proceedings against Noem has now garnered support from over 100 Democrats.

Not only Democrats, but Stephanie Grisham, who served as White House press secretary during Trump's first term, posted on social media on January 25 urging Trump not to "go it alone" and to withdraw ICE from Minnesota.

"Please@POTUS - stop this," Grisham said. "Don't double down, don't listen to the advisors telling you false facts/stats & fake polling & lies about what is going on. Please use your humanity & pull ICE from MN - that's not being weak, it's leadership."

The Hill reported that Grisham, who also served as an aide to first lady Melania Trump during the first Trump administration, resigned from the first Trump administration following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

This is already the second tragedy this month in Minneapolis in which a US citizen has been fatally shot by federal agents. On January 7, 2026, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent during a federal enforcement operation, sparking widespread controversy nationwide, Xinhua reported.

Global Times