KY lawmaker presses leaders on immigration enforcement role after Minneapolis shooting

A Kentucky state representative is calling for top elected leaders in Louisville and Kentucky to act in the wake of the latest shooting by immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis Jan. 24.

In a statement, Kentucky state Rep. Nima Kulkarni, a Louisville Democrat and immigration attorney, called on Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg to “stop his complicity with ICE” and for Gov. Andy Beshear “to be prepared to call in the National Guard to protect Kentuckians” as tensions related to immigration enforcement rise around the country.

Kulkarni’s comments come after a 37-year-old White man was killed by federal agents the morning of Jan. 24.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the shooting occurred while U.S. Border Patrol officers were conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. During a news conference, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the man approached the officers while armed with a handgun and agents fired “defensive shots” after the man resisted an attempt to disarm him.

According to analysis by USA TODAY of videos taken at the scene, the victim, identified by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara as Alex Pretti, is not seen wielding a gun and widely-circulated footage of the incident appears to show agents disarm Pretti before shots are fired. O’Hara said Pretti is believed to be a city resident who worked as a nurse and U.S. citizen with a permit to carry a firearm.

The Jan. 24 shooting is one of several to occur in January amid a surge of immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities that has sparked unrest among residents. Tensions notably started to mount after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis.

“Today’s deadly shooting is yet another escalation of violence by militarized federal (agencies) who are all part of the Trump regime’s state sanctioned violence. This administration has been brutalizing citizens and noncitizens all across the country, in Minnesota, in Kentucky, and right here (in) Louisville,” Kulkarni said. “People are being shot in the street. Children are being kidnapped. Families are being terrorized.”

Her comments regarding Greenberg are likely in reference to the mayor’s Summer 2025 announcement that the city would begin complying with immigration detainers — a request for another law enforcement agency to hold an immigrant for up to 48 hours longer than they would otherwise hold them to give federal agents time to take them into custody.

Louisville Metro Department of Corrections stopped complying with 48-hour immigration in 2017 with the passage of a local ordinance that limited local law enforcement from helping federal agents with immigration enforcement. But Greenberg backed off the years-long practice after U.S. Department of Justice officials told him the move would ensure Louisville was removed from a list of places the Trump administration deems sanctuary jurisdictions.

Kulkarni also called on local university leaders to “stop aiding and abetting ICE” and for all Kentucky public officials to “stop empowering the brutality of this administration.”

“This is not about a political talking point. This is about people’s lives,” she said. “Now is not the time to stay silent. Now is the time for our elected leaders to take action to protect their communities.”

Kulkarni could not immediately be reached Jan. 24 for additional comment.

USA TODAY contributed to this report. Killian Baarlaer covers Louisville Metro Government. Reach him at kbaarlaer@courier-journal.com or @bkillian72 on X.