THE death of American Alex Prettiaged 37, on Saturday (24), in Minneapolis, has been generating a growing wave of criticism and protests from the opposition and even allies towards the actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the United States and also to President Donald Trump.
Important politicians such as Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, two former US presidents, spoke out strongly against what has been happening in that state. Clinton made a public statement on the matter:
“In recent weeks, we have seen horrific scenes in Minneapolis and other communities that I never believed could happen in the United States. People, including children, have been taken from their homes, workplaces and the streets by masked federal agents. Peaceful protesters and citizens exercising their constitutional right to observe and document the work of the law have been arrested, beaten, gassed and, most seriously, in the cases of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, shot and killed,” Clinton criticized.
The former president of the Democratic Party also wrote that everything that has been happening in the country “is unacceptable and should be avoided”. For Clinton, the situation gets even worse when the current government “lies, telling us not to believe what we saw with our own eyes.”
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He ends his statement with a call: “It is up to all of us, who believe in the promise of American democracy, to take a stand, speak out and show that our nation still belongs to us the people.”
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Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, released a public statement about the actions of the US government in Minneapolis that resulted in Pretti’s death:
“The murder of Alex Pretti is a massive tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call for every American, regardless of party, about how our core values as a nation are under increasing assault. Law enforcement and immigration officials have a difficult job. But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a responsible and lawful manner, and to work with (not against) local law enforcement to ensure public safety,” Obama said.
Obama and Michelle, in their text, describe some of the events of recent weeks and say that the Trump government misinforms about ICE’s actions and escalates the situation by spreading lies about the deaths of both Renee Good as much as Alex Pretti.
“This has to stop. I hope that after this most recent tragedy, officials in this administration will reconsider their actions and begin to find ways to work constructively with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey.”
Democratic Party congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke out on her social media about Petti’s death. “You are advocating the murder of ordinary Americans for exercising their constitutional rights. First it was the mother of a six-year-old child. Now a nurse helping veterans. Both with gunshots at close range. All without thought and without remorse. People won’t forget this.”
Republicans
The action of the US government in Minneapolis is also beginning to generate protests and requests for investigations, even from politicians from the Republican Party, the same as Trump..
“The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing. The credibility of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security are at risk. There must be a joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth,” wrote Republican Senator Bill Cassidy.
Lisa Murkowski, Republican Party senator from the state of Alaska, is another Trump colleague who has criticized the current president. “The tragedy and chaos in the country that we witnessed in Minnesota is shocking. The death of Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, by ICE agents should raise serious questions about the training and orders given to immigration enforcement officers. Carrying a legal weapon does not justify murder by federal agents, especially – as the videos show – after this victim was disarmed.”
She ends by stating that there must be an independent investigation, and advocated for congressional committees to hold hearings on what happened. “ICE agents do not have carte blanche to carry out their duties,” he said.
