Minnesota is suing the federal government after federal immigration officers shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti on a public street in Minneapolis and then blocked state and local authorities from investigating that death. The lawsuit, brought by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, states that the fatal shooting occurred on January 24, 2026, during a federal immigration enforcement operation and that when state investigators arrived, federal personnel ordered them to leave and denied them access to the scene and critical evidence. Federal agents reportedly seized cell phones and detained witnesses, but it is unclear whether they properly processed the scene or preserved evidence before leaving, which Minnesota officials say allowed the perimeter to collapse and increased the risk that key evidence was lost or spoiled.
Minnesota argues that this conduct contradicts longstanding practice and cooperation between state and federal law enforcement and interferes with its core sovereign responsibility to investigate potential violations of state criminal law. The complaint contends that federal authorities have taken exclusive possession of evidence and continue to refuse access, even though state and local law enforcement need that evidence to determine what happened in the shooting of Alex Pretti and whether any state crimes were committed.
The state also notes that this is not an isolated incident, pointing to an earlier January 2026 shooting of Renee Good by a federal agent, after which the federal government revoked Minnesota’s access to evidence and declined to pursue an independent investigation. Minnesota says those events, coupled with the handling of the Pretti shooting, demonstrate a pattern of federal interference that violates the Tenth Amendment and basic principles of federalism by preventing the state from carrying out its police powers within its own borders.
Through the lawsuit, Minnesota is asking a federal court to declare the federal government’s actions unconstitutional, to enjoin federal agencies from destroying, altering, or concealing any evidence related to Pretti’s death, and to require them to provide full access to the evidence so state investigators can fulfill their duties. The complaint also seeks costs and attorneys’ fees and any other relief the court deems appropriate.
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