A senior U.S. immigration official defended the continuation of an enforcement mission in Minneapolis on Sunday, saying enforcing the law is a "duty." Tensions are high following the fatal shooting of nurse and U.S. citizen Alex Pretti by federal agents.
Greg Bovino, U.S. Border Patrol Commander-at-Large, said: “Our Title 8 immigration mission continues, unabated here in Minneapolis despite yesterday’s tragedy that was preventable by folks making better choices; politicians, journalists, and would-be anarchists and rioters,”. The official spoke as part of a defence of operations by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol in Minnesota.
“Now enforcing the law is not a choice,” the official added, saying that officers “choose to be a Border Patrol agent” and ICE agents choose their roles, but enforcing laws enacted by Congress and upheld by the judiciary is a duty “whether that’s a Title 8 immigration law, whether that’s chasing a bank robber, or a spy or whatever else.”
The official also criticised politicians, community leaders and journalists who had “vilified law enforcement” in heated rhetoric, suggesting that such language contributed to recent confrontations. “When someone chooses to listen to that … there are consequences and actions there also – I think we saw that yesterday,” they said.
The comments come in the aftermath of heightened tension in Minneapolis over federal immigration enforcement. Alex Pretti, 37, was shot dead on 24 January by a federal agent.Public outrage and protests swiftly followed. Local officials, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have criticised the presence of ICE and other federal agents, demanding an end to the operation and greater transparency.
Labour leaders and unions have also weighed in, with calls for ICE to leave Minnesota and urging accountability following Pretti’s death.
State and federal officials have provided conflicting accounts of what happened.
The federal response has included legal moves to preserve evidence in the case, with a judge ordering the Department of Homeland Security to retain materials as investigations continue.
Federal authorities, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Homeland Security officials, have defended the actions of immigration agents and stressed that federal law enforcement has immunity when performing their duties. Local leaders, however, dispute federal narratives and have called for independent investigations into the use of force and broader enforcement tactics.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark warning at this year's COP31 summit, saying the climate crisis iss advancing faster than governments' efforts to contain it.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence, energy cooperation and economic resilience topping the agenda. Azerbaijan’s role in regional peace and connectivity was also in focus.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 11 November. Today, we cover Russia-Ukraine peace talks, political tensions in Washington, strikes in Spain, espionage allegations involving Nvidia's CEO, and climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye.
Four million workers across Spain joined a general strike on Wednesday over the country’s deepening housing crisis, unions said, bringing disruption to factories, ports, shops and public transport just weeks before a snap general election.
Iran has unveiled a new underground missile and drone base, warning that it will respond forcefully to any attack, as tensions persist with the U.S. and oil tankers continue to be struck by naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence, energy cooperation and economic resilience topping the agenda. Azerbaijan’s role in regional peace and connectivity was also in focus.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is stepping down amid reports linking him to a woman suspected by U.S. authorities of spying for China, throwing the future of the $4 trillion chipmaker into uncertainty.
Tajikistan is urging regional allies to step up support for its border with Afghanistan following a series of deadly armed incidents. Despite building more than 80 new border outposts, Dushanbe says it needs further assistance to secure its southern frontier.
Eight people have been killed and at least 17 injured after an apartment building collapsed into a neighbouring construction site in Brooklyn, New York, as rescuers continued searching the rubble for possible survivors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for facilitating talks between Russia and Ukraine, but warned that any foreign troops deployed in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets by Moscow.
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