Protesters gathered in Minneapolis, marking four weeks since Alex Pretti was shot by federal immigration officers.
On Saturday, hundreds of protesters chanted “ICE out” as they marched from Whittier Park. They expressed some optimism over a shift in immigration enforcement since Pretti’s death, but were adamant that protests will continue.
Shannon Born and Finn McAfee, a mother and son, joined the protest to show solidarity.
“For me, this is about Alex and being with this community and marching towards where that happened. Yeah, it’s very emotional,” said Born.
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“I just want to be here to support the people that need it, and use our privilege to help them,” said McAfee.
FBI evidence decision
The protest followed the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s (BCA) announcement that the FBI will not share evidence related to Pretti’s killing with state investigators. The BCA called the FBI’s decision “concerning and unprecedented.”
“Astonishing. It’s disgusting. This is, yeah, just speechless, actually,” said Born. “It just seems like there is no justice, and things are just getting swept under the rug, and hoping people will just move on and not sharing evidence and all that. And it is, it’s terrifying.”
Wes, a volunteer with MN50501, commented on the situation.
“I mean, it’s not surprising to me… I would love for that to happen, but I have no confidence in that happening. No,” said Wes, asked for his take on the FBI’s unwillingness to share evidence with state investigators.
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A “shift” in enforcement
It’s been an eventful few weeks since Pretti’s death, beginning days later with the removal of Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino from his role as the face of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota after inflaming the community with unsubstantiated claims about Pretti.
In the first week of February, White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced the start of an ICE drawdown and the beginning of the end of its Minnesota-based operation. On Friday, U.S. lawmakers from Minnesota said fewer than 500 agents remained, down from 3,000 federal agents at the height of the operation. Homan’s stated goal is to return to the typical footprint of 150 agents.
“I think there was definitely a shift. So while we’re nowhere near claiming victory, you know, we’re feeling a lot better,” said Wes on Saturday.
“If we were seeing activity comparable to September or October, then I would exhale. But again, we’re not interested in pulling back, I don’t think anymore,” he added.
Push for reform
Democrats in Washington, D.C., are pushing for ICE reform, including requiring agents to unmask and identify themselves, and use judicial warrants to enter homes. These requests are at the center of a partial government shutdown, which began a week ago Saturday.
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In St. Paul, Mayor Kaohly Her signed an ordinance to bar law enforcement officers from wearing masks that obscure their identity. The ordinance, passed unanimously by the city council, will take effect March 13.
“It’s not the end of the fight right now,” said Morgan Budiandri, a volunteer with the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC).
“I just want people to remember all the victims who were killed by ICE, to remember Renee Good, to remember Alex Pretti. And I want people to, you know, remember that this is, you know, not the end of our fight despite this drawdown. We still need to show up and care about our neighbors.”
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to federal officials again on Saturday for comment on their decision not to share evidence with state investigators, but has not received a response.
Protestors leading the march on Saturday said they will continue their efforts, at least if/until immigration enforcement agents leave Minnesota entirely. At least two more protests are planned for next week.
The lineup has been announced for the 2026 edition of Snow & Flurry, set for October 10th and 11th at Underground Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN. Judge, Merauder, and Arkangel will headline the two-day event also featuring 25+ more acts in total.
Weekend passes are available now, with single-day tickets and daily lineups to be announced later.
Passes are available here.
Line up in order of flyer:
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Judge Merauder Arkangel The Killer Nehemiah Another Enemy Awaiting Eschiel Basic Needs Blistered Spirit Blood Stained Concrete Cudgel Direct Order Dose Enemy Of Man Enervate Ethic Eyes Of Sorrow Fleshless Body Lead Spirit Madman Meantime Neolithic Passion Self Interest Shits Creek Sin Sufrir Skewed What Counts Withdrawal Wrath Of Sanity Velocity
After spending months helping immigrant families weather the economic fallout of federal immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities, Smitten Kitten is asking the community for help sustaining itself.
The adult retail store in Minneapolis’ Lyn-Lake neighborhood issued a public plea for community financial support.
The strain comes after months of directing staff and volunteer time, resources and fundraising efforts toward mutual aid work that supported immigrants during Operation Metro Surge.
The store became one of the most visible community aid hubs after the federal operation began. Following the killing of Renee Good, Smitten Kitten began collecting groceries, diapers, toilet paper and other essentials.
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“Nothing is going to change unless we’re going to do something,” said Anne Lehman, Smitten Kitten social media manager and mutual aid advisor.
The store also helped direct efforts toward rent relief for immigrants facing heightened uncertainty and economic hardship.
“People had been hiding out since October. They’re going to need things like diapers, toilet paper and water.” Lehman said. “We ended up opening our store as a donation drop-off stop.”
Community support quickly exceeded expectations.
“It felt like every fifteen minutes someone was pulling up in an SUV that just came from Costco,” Lehman said. “As soon as we got it, it would be gone because of how great the need was.”
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Lehman said that the attention also created safety concerns for staff and visitors.
“We had to move where our stuff was because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had caught on to what we were doing and tried to intimidate us,” said Lehman.
In response, the store decided to move its operations elsewhere and began to focus on raising money for necessities. According to Lehman, the establishment raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various needs.
The operation, in part, ended by mid-February, and federal presence in Minnesota diminished. As things began to wind down, so did cash flow at Smitten Kitten.
“There were a lot of weeks where we were cutting it close on payroll,” said Lehman.
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In a social media post, Lehman asked the community to come help support the store by asking for donations, asking people to shop at their store or online.
“We are asking for help, but also all of these things that we’re pouring all of our energy into is not going away,” said Lehman. “If we want to continue doing mutual aid, we have to have a solid foundation of our business as well.”
MINNEAPOLIS — Real Capital Solutions (RCS) has acquired 3701 Wayzata Boulevard, a 308,681-square-foot office property in the Urban West End neighborhood of Minneapolis, for $34 million. Situated on 25.8 acres overlooking Brownie and Cedar lakes, the nine-story asset is 99 percent leased and serves as the headquarters location for several companies such as Tactile Medical, SRF Consulting Group, Regis Corp. and MOBE.
Originally developed as a corporate headquarters campus for Prudential and later occupied by Target Corp., the property underwent a comprehensive renovation and repositioning in 2019. Amenities today include a fitness center, conference facilities, a golf simulator, onsite café, outdoor gathering spaces, a rooftop patio, bike storage and direct access to regional trail systems.
