Eilish Urges Celebrities to Condemn ICE Shooting in Minneapolis

Billie Eilish urged fellow celebrities to speak out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse by a federal agent during an immigration enforcement action on Saturday in South Minneapolis.

Alex Pretti, who worked at the Veterans Administration and held a valid Minnesota permit to carry a concealed handgun, was shot and killed amid what authorities described as targeted immigration operations. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that Pretti approached Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, reacted violently when they attempted to disarm him, and that an agent fired in self-defense to protect himself and others. Pretti's family confirmed his legal status as a gun owner to the Associated Press. However, multiple eyewitness videos analyzed by news outlets showed Pretti assisting others at the scene while holding a phone, not a weapon, and indicated that a federal agent had removed the handgun from his holster before the shooting occurred. The incident marked the second civilian death linked to ICE activities in the city in recent weeks.