Tensions between the White House and Minnesota officials reached a breaking point on Saturday after federal immigration agents shot and killed a US citizen in Minneapolis, the second such fatality this month.
The killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a local nurse with no criminal record, has sparked widespread civil unrest and prompted Governor Tim Walz to mobilise the National Guard.
The incident follows the 7 January shooting of another US citizen, Renee Good, which had already strained relations between local law enforcement and the 3,000 federal agents ordered into the city by President Donald Trump for a controversial immigration crackdown.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains that a Border Patrol agent fired in self-defence after Pretti allegedly resisted attempts to disarm him.
However, bystander video verified by Reuters appears to show multiple agents struggling with Pretti on the ground and striking him before a volley of shots was fired.
Local leaders have flatly rejected the federal narrative, with Governor Walz describing the footage as “sickening” and accusing the federal government of blocking state investigators from the scene.
The friction prompted a response from President Trump, who took to social media to accuse the Mayor and Governor of “inciting insurrection” through their “pompous and arrogant rhetoric.”
The violence has brought the city to a standstill, with the National Basketball Association (NBA) postponing a Minnesota Timberwolves game and the Minneapolis Institute of Art closing its doors due to safety concerns.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that Pretti was a lawful gun owner whose only prior legal issues involved traffic violations.
The shooting occurred just 24 hours after 10,000 people protested against the federal operation, which has been widely criticised following reports of school children being detained and a US citizen being taken from his home while dressed only in shorts.
Vice President JD Vance, who visited the city on Thursday, has defended the operation, accusing local authorities of failing to provide police support for federal agents.
In response, state officials have argued that the federal presence is draining local resources and endangering residents.
