Former President Bill Clinton has accused federal immigration authorities of using “increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics” following another fatal encounter involving immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
In a statement, Clinton claimed that “peaceful protesters” are being “shot and killed” in the streets under President Donald Trump.
Without naming Trump, Clinton claimed that “the people in charge have lied to us” about the circumstances of recent deaths involving federal agents.
Clinton’s remarks came after the death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old anti-ICE activist who was shot and killed Saturday during a confrontation with Border Patrol agents as they carried out a federal immigration operation in the Minnesota city.
Authorities have said Pretti, who worked as an ICU nurse, intervened in the operation and was armed at the time of the encounter.
A violent struggle followed, during which federal agents opened fire.
The incident remains under investigation.
The shooting followed earlier unrest in Minneapolis tied to the ICE-involved killing of Renee Nicole Good earlier this month.
Good was shot while ramming a federal agent with her vehicle.
In a statement, Clinton claimed the Trump administration has normalized what he described as extreme federal actions against civilians.
“In recent weeks, we’ve watched horrible scenes play out in Minneapolis and other communities that I never thought would take place in America,” Clinton said.
“People, including children, have been seized from their homes, workplaces, and the street by masked federal agents.
“Peaceful protesters and citizens exercising their constitutional right to observe and document law enforcement have been arrested, beaten, teargassed, and most searingly, in the cases of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, shot and killed,” he continued.
Clinton called the deaths “unacceptable” and said the incidents “should have been avoided.”
“To make matters even worse, at every turn, the people in charge have lied to us, told us not to believe what we’ve seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics, including impeding investigations by local authorities,” he said.
The former president framed the moment as a defining test for the country’s future.
“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,” Clinton said.
“This is one of them.
“If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back.
“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.”
Federal officials have defended recent immigration enforcement actions as lawful and necessary.
Investigations into the Minneapolis shootings continue.
READ MORE – Arizona’s Democrat AG Urges Anti-ICE Mobs to Use ‘Lethal Force’ Against Federal Agents
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