ICE agents in Minneapolis told independent journalist Ken Klippenstein that morale has dropped sharply after the deadly shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti. Many agents blame rushed hiring and uneven training as the agency adds thousands of new officers under the Trump administration.
“The brand new agents are idiots,” one experienced ICE agent from Homeland Security Investigations told Klippenstein, speaking anonymously, according to his report published Monday. A newer recruit also shared concerns, saying, “A lot of the guys … are honestly pretty sketchy.” This recruit described seeing colleagues pass around “a flask” while watching a suspect.
Klippenstein reported that nearly everyone he interviewed echoed these complaints. Some agents believed Pretti’s death resulted from “a skittish young recruit who panicked” upon hearing the word “gun.” However, he noted that the exact sequence of events remains unclear.
Pretti, 37, was shot and killed on Saturday, Jan. 24, in Minneapolis during a federal immigration operation, according to The Associated Press. His family identified him as an ICU nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital and expressed difficulty in getting information from authorities about the incident.
Federal officials stated that Pretti approached agents with a handgun and resisted as they tried to disarm him. However, state and local officials disputed this account. ABC News reported that video footage it reviewed did not show Pretti drawing a gun. Instead, it showed him holding a cellphone while agents sprayed him with pepper spray and pinned him to the ground before shots were fired.
This incident has sparked debate about federal immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis. It marked the second fatal agent-involved shooting in the city this month, as reported by ABC News.
Klippenstein noted that several agents he spoke with support immigration enforcement, but they feel the Minneapolis deployment has shifted to confrontations with protesters and open-ended assignments. This shift diverts resources from essential work. “This is a no-win situation for agents on the ground or immigration enforcement overall,” one Border Patrol agent wrote in a private chat group shared with Klippenstein. “I think it’s time to pull out of Minnesota; that battle is lost.”
The frustration comes as ICE has rapidly grown. Local and national sources report that the Department of Homeland Security has hired over 12,000 officers and agents in less than a year and received more than 220,000 applications, increasing the workforce from about 10,000 to around 22,000.
DHS has also relaxed recruiting rules as part of this expansion. NBC Philadelphia reported that the agency removed the previous age limit of 40 for ICE applicants while maintaining a minimum age of 21 on its website. This change comes as officials publicly emphasize the speed of hiring.
After the shooting, the administration made changes to on-the-ground leadership in Minneapolis. ABC News reported that Customs and Border Protection commander Gregory Bovino would return to El Centro, California, to resume his role as sector chief. DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that Bovino “has NOT been relieved of his duties” and referred to him as “a key part of the President’s team.”
ABC News also reported that President Donald Trump stated he was sending border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis, bypassing the normal chain of command as federal operations continue in the city.
