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Federal immigration agents shot and killed 37‑year‑old Alex Jeffrey Pretti during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis, touching off nightly protests, heated political debate and calls for independent investigations. Officials say agents fired in self‑defense after a man allegedly approached them with a handgun; multiple bystander videos and family statements dispute that account, showing Pretti holding what relatives say was a phone. The incident follows a separate federal fatal shooting in the city this month and has prompted Minnesota’s governor to order a state probe. Demonstrations — some turning confrontational — have spread while community groups quietly mobilised to shelter immigrant families and arrange legal support for those facing detention. National and local leaders are split: Democratic officials and activists demand transparency and the withdrawal of federal immigration teams, while some federal figures defend agents’ actions. The case has become a flashpoint in debates over federal policing, use‑of‑force rules in dense urban settings, protesters’ rights and how agencies coordinate with city authorities during enforcement operations.