Minneapolis, Minnesota — A protest outside a Minneapolis hotel believed to be housing federal immigration agents escalated Sunday night, ending with chemical irritants being deployed after demonstrators vandalized the property, according to state officials.
The demonstration took place at a Home2 Suites by Hilton near the University of Minnesota, where protesters gathered following the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse shot by U.S. Border Patrol agents two days earlier. Video from the scene showed protesters shouting, banging on the building, and spray-painting messages such as “ICE out” on hotel windows. Some footage also captured armed federal officers standing near the lobby as the crowd grew louder.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said state troopers and Department of Natural Resources officers were initially called to assist Minneapolis police with property damage. According to the agency, federal agents arrived later without coordination and deployed chemical irritants, dispersing the crowd. State officials said their personnel left the scene shortly afterward.
The protest comes amid heightened tensions over federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota following Pretti’s death. Video reviewed by state leaders has raised questions about the federal account of the shooting, with officials saying Pretti appeared unarmed and restrained. The incident follows a separate January killing in Minneapolis involving ICE agent Jonathan Ross and U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good.
Gov. Tim Walz has repeatedly urged the Trump administration to withdraw federal immigration agents from Minneapolis, saying the expanded presence has fueled unrest and fear in local communities.
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