The majority of members serving on the Lake County Board called for an independent investigation into the shooting of Alex Pretti by agents of the US Customs and Border Protection Agency in Minneapolis. Pretti was recording video of agents when they began to shove him along with two women. Pretti is a legal firearm owner who was shot to death by the agents when they realized he had a concealed firearm.
Vice President JD Vance, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, CBP Commander Greb Bovino and others claimed Pretti rushed agents with his weapon and those agents fired in self defense. The video strongly contradicts those claims.
Pretti was shot with pepper spray and taken to the ground by six agents. When they saw his weapon, the agents took it then fired ten shots, killing Pretti. No video shows anything other than Pretti holding a cellphone.
Per the statement from the board, “We Lake County Board Members add our voices to those calling for an independent investigation of Alex Pretti’s killing, not merely a use-of-force review. The American people deserve honest transparency from the administration and de-escalation of violent immigration practices.” The letter in its entirety is below.
It is a serious matter when federal agents shoot and kill an American citizen. It is custom for the FBI to conduct an investigation in a matter such as this. So far, the DHS announced it would perform its own investigation and has not cooperated with Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. They must.
We fully agree with the members of the Lake County Board who signed this call.
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First, our hearts go out to the family and friends of Alex Pretti. His death, as the other preventable deaths during this administration’s immigration enforcement operations, is a tragedy.
The actions of immigration agents these past months reflect a culture of violence in the Department of Homeland Security that has been repeatedly followed by disinformation and dishonesty from the federal government.
We Lake County Board Members add our voices to those calling for an independent criminal investigation of Alex Pretti’s killing, not merely a use-of-force review. The American people deserve honest transparency from the administration and a de-escalation of violent immigration enforcement practices; we cannot imagine this happening under current DHS Secretary Noem nor Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller and they should be fired. Additionally, Congress should vote against adding billions more tax dollars to the current billions already allocated to DHS for their immigration enforcement operations.
We deserve to feel safe in our communities and that our rights are supported by our own government.
Locally, our ordinances prohibit civil immigration operations on county and forest preserve properties. Additionally, our state’s attorney and coroner have assured the public that anyone, including federal agents, who breaks state laws will be investigated, afforded due process, and prosecuted through the same procedures the office has always used.
Five years ago, after the unprecedented insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, some of us wrote:
“We each have a responsibility to learn about and engage with the America we love. To pay attention. Every elected official in this country, from president on down to the county board, has a role and responsibility to promote democratic ideals, engage the public faithfully, and instill trust.”
We believe this now more than ever. We join the majority of Americans who are united in this vision for our country.
Jessica Vealitzek
Gina Roberts
Jennifer Clark
Sandy Hart
Paul Frank
Carissa Casbon
Paras Parekh Marah Altenberg
Esiah Campos
Angelo Kyle
Mary Ross Cunningham
Diane Hewitt
Sara Knizhnik