Protests after fatal shootings Enough is enough! Has Trump's deportation policy reached a turning point?
The US government is resolutely enforcing ICE operations.
Image: dpa
People in Minneapolis mourn Alex Pretti, who was shot dead by federal officials.
Image: dpa
People have been demonstrating against Trump's deportation policy for weeks.
Image: dpa
The US government is resolutely enforcing ICE operations.
Image: dpa
People in Minneapolis mourn Alex Pretti, who was shot dead by federal officials.
Image: dpa
People have been demonstrating against Trump's deportation policy for weeks.
Image: dpa
In many US cities, people are taking to the streets against the deportation raids ordered by Donald Trump. Deadly shots are fired again during an operation in Minneapolis. Is this the tipping point?
25.01.2026, 23:28
25.01.2026, 23:49
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the mood in the city and across the country is characterized by protests, vigils and growing anger at the Trump administration's harsh deportation policy.
- While the government and security authorities are quick to justify the actions of federal officials, Democrats accuse them of refraining from clarification and instead fighting for interpretative sovereignty.
- The escalation is fueling political conflicts all the way to Washington and could lead to a turning point in US migration policy.
It has long been dark and cold, the temperature has dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius. But people are still gathering where 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot dead by US federal officials on Saturday. Observers in Minneapolis describe a feeling somewhere between vigil and protest. US President Donald Trump's deportation policy, which claimed a second life in the state of Minnesota within a few days, could lead to a turning point.
Across the country, people are taking to the streets to demonstrate against the use of the often rigorous immigration authorities ICE. Many are driven by a feeling of powerlessness, triggered by the rigorous policies of the US government. The Trump administration is also doing nothing to de-escalate the Pretti case. Although much is unclear, the government is saying early on: the armed Pretti, who was allegedly protesting against an operation by federal officers, was not wrongfully shot by the officers.
Democrats want to stop funding for deportation policy
Similar to the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renée Good by federal officers on January 7, the US government's focus is not on solving the case, but rather on the power of interpretation. The Democrats are calling for a protest against Trump and the raids by federal officials against migrants - the US government is attacking back. Debates in the US parliament are expected in the coming days with Democrats attempting to block funding for deportation policy. Everything could even lead to another government shutdown in the USA.
The mayor of Minneapolis, Democrat Jacob Frey, addressed the US President directly in a press conference: "How many more Americans have to die or be seriously injured for this mission to end?" If the aim of the mission is to ensure peace and security, then it is having exactly the opposite effect.
The governor of the surrounding state of Minnesota, Democrat Tim Walz, called on Trump to withdraw the forces from Minnesota. "They are sowing chaos and violence." And, "We can't live like this. Our children are traumatized." The Democratic governor of Illinois and therefore also of Chicago, where there had been major protests against the deployments, JB Pritzker, calls on X Republican and Democratic governors to give a "joint response". "We must all stand up against the lawlessness that reigns in our cities."
Neither side admits to having misjudged the situation
Democrats elsewhere are also trying to form a united force now and pull Republicans to their side. If they succeed, this could be a tipping point for the Trump administration. It is hard to say who has how many supporters. Many videos of ICE operations are circulating on social media - some commented on with horror or celebrated frenetically. There are also several videos about the shootings. None of them make one side admit to having misjudged the situation.
The US Department of Homeland Security posts a photo of a gun that the man killed is said to have been carrying. Trump writes on the Truth Social platform that the gun was loaded. He also sends criticism towards the city, writing that ICE officers were not protected by local police during their operations. He describes the ICE officers as patriots. He accuses the mayor and the governor of inciting the people of Minnesota with their rhetoric.
In the USA, raids in which migrants are taken away have become almost commonplace. The US government speaks of a successful prosecution of foreigners who were in the USA illegally and emphasizes that many criminals have been caught.
Several lawsuits against federal authorities
The ICE operations are part of the intensified deportation policy in Trump's second term in office. According to the US government, around 3,000 people have been arrested since the intensified operations began in Minnesota. Several lawsuits by local authorities against the actions of the federal authorities are currently pending in court.
Such raids can be witnessed by bystanders on the street. In the US capital Washington, for example, it is not uncommon to witness operations in which armed officers break into people's homes. Critics of the security and migration policy pursued under Trump sometimes draw comparisons with Germany in the 1930s and speak of "Gestapo" and "Nazi methods". The US government rejects such comparisons.
Opponents of this policy have now organized themselves in many cities. They warn each other about operations or make noise with whistles or bang on pots when they notice a raid.
More demonstrations expected
Hardly anyone believes that the mood will calm down in the coming days. Only on Friday, despite freezing temperatures, thousands of people in Minnesota protested against the controversial operations of the immigration authorities. The organizers of the day of action demanded the withdrawal of ICE officials from Minnesota.
Many people were still under the impression of the shootings at the beginning of January. Renée Good had been shot dead in her car, and here too the government described the action as self-defense. Democrats and protesters spoke of excessive force and a lack of transparency in the investigation.
