Obama, Clinton urge Americans to ‘stand up’ as protests intensify across US

Former US presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have urged Americans to stand up and defend “core US values” following the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.

According to reports, the 37-year-old was shot and killed on Saturday while federal agents were attempting to detain him. The incident marked the second fatal shooting of a US citizen by immigration officers in Minneapolis this month, after Renee Good, a mother, who was likewise 37 years of age, was killed in her car earlier in January.

In a statement on Monday, Barack and Michelle Obama described Pretti’s death as a “heartbreaking tragedy” and said it should be “a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.”

They criticized the Department of Homeland Security’s “unprecedented tactics,” saying that “people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke, and endanger the residents of a major American city.”

The Obamas added that “rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they’ve deployed, the President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation, while offering public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that aren’t informed by any serious investigation — and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence.”

They called on Americans to “draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country” and said they hoped administration officials would change their approach and work with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey “to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals.”

Hours later, Bill Clinton also weighed in, calling the scenes in Minneapolis “horrible” and saying, “Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them.”

Clinton said that “the people in charge” were lying to the public and telling them “not to believe what we’ve seen with our own eyes,” adding, “It is up to all of us who believe in the promise of American democracy to stand up, speak out, and show that our nation still belongs to We the People.”

He also said, “All of this is unacceptable,” as he urged Americans to “stand up, speak out.”

“If we give our freedoms away…, we might never get them back.”

Videos contradict official accounts

Trump administration officials said Pretti had intended to harm federal agents and pointed to a pistol they said was discovered on him, similar to claims made after Renee Good’s death.

However, video widely shared on social media and verified by US media and Reuters showed that Pretti never drew a weapon. Footage showed agents spraying him in the face with chemical irritant, throwing him to the ground, and removing a firearm from near his waistband after he was subdued, moments before they fatally shot him. Pretti was a licensed gun owner.

Also on Monday, the White House claimed that President Donald Trump did not want to see people get hurt or killed on US streets, but would not back down from efforts to deport “violent criminal illegal aliens” from Minnesota.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt alleged, “This tragedy occurred as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota for weeks.”

She added that Trump sought to “make America safe again, and he welcomes all cooperation in that effort.”

Trump blames Democrats, calls for ‘cooperation’

Trump blamed Minnesota’s Democratic elected officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, writing on his Truth Social platform, “Democrat run Sanctuary Cities and States are REFUSING to cooperate with ICE.”

“Tragically, two American Citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat ensued chaos,” he added.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson accused Obama of exploiting the moment to “sow more division,” saying, “Obama should join President Trump in urging local Democrat leaders — like Walz and Frey — to work with the Trump Administration to remove dangerous criminal illegal aliens from American communities.”

In a separate statement, Jackson said Clinton “should use his platform to urge Democrat leaders in Minnesota to cooperate with the federal government to remove criminal illegal rapists, murderers, and pedophiles instead of providing them sanctuary.”

Protests spread beyond Minnesota

With tensions high, protesters gathered on Sunday in Minneapolis, denouncing ICE. One person held up a cardboard sign that read, “Be Pretti, be Good.”

Thousands of Montanans around the state also held protests over Sunday and Monday in the wake of Pretti’s killing and in response to the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Hundreds gathered outside the Gallatin County Courthouse in Bozeman, while in Missoula, more than 1,000 people rallied, according to some reports. There were also two events in Billings and another set for Helena.

Bozeman residents carried signs reading “abolish ICE,” “ICE murders” and “Democracy doesn’t fear protest, dictators do.” One protester carried an upside-down flag marked with the words “failed state.” Bozeman Police Department Deputy Chief Joseph Swanson described the protest as a “very peaceful and orderly event.”

Members of Montana’s all-Republican federal delegation indicated support for an investigation into Pretti’s killing.

For the third straight day, hundreds of protesters also gathered at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on Monday evening, marching down Lincoln Street and blocking traffic as they urged federal agents to end immigration enforcement nationwide.

Several nurses attended the Denver protest, saying Pretti’s death had hit them especially hard.

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