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The death of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis has become a defining moment in a rapidly intensifying national debate over the use of force by federal agents and the mechanisms in place to hold them accountable.
Pretti was killed on January 24 during an operation tied to a federal immigration crackdown known as Operation Metro Surge. He worked at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, caring for veterans in critical condition, and was widely described by colleagues as calm, compassionate, and deeply committed to his patients. He had no significant criminal history. Within hours of the shooting, his name moved from official incident reports to candlelit memorials, vigils, and handwritten notes taped to fences near the site of his death.
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