WASHINGTON — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says two agents involved in the fatal shooting of an American citizen in Minneapolis have been placed on administrative leave immediately after the incident on Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.The new reporting by DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin contradicts what Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who was leading its efforts in Minneapolis, said over the weekend that the CBP agents involved were still on the job, working in “other locations” for their safety. “All agents that were involved in that scene are working, not in Minneapolis, but in other locations,” Bovino told reporters Sunday.The killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, on Saturday provoked fresh protests in the state of Minnesota, public outcry across the US and calls from lawmakers in both parties to remove the secretary of the DHS.According to a preliminary DHS report sent to Congress, two officers fired their weapons at Pretti during a scuffle. Initial official accounts had alleged Pretti brandished his gun.It is unclear when the agents were put on leave, or how long they will stay off the job.The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who shot another US citizen, 37-year-old Renee Good, in Minneapolis on 7 January was also placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation.New footage published by the News Movement, a digital media outlet, shows an altercation between Pretti and federal officers 11 days before his death.A Pretti family representative said the family knew about the incident and that he sustained injuries, but did not receive medical care.The video was recorded on Jan. 13 and posted Wednesday shows Pretti confronting federal agents along with other protesters. The video was verified by CBS News has confirmed the footage was filmed in Minneapolis.Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday that she was “on the ground in Minneapolis” and the justice department had “arrested 16 Minnesota rioters for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement”.”We expect more arrests to come,” she added.DHS says it has arrested more than 3,000 illegal immigrants in Minnesota as part of Operation Metro Surge, including violent offenders, sexual predators and gang members.In Minneapolis on Wednesday, a federal judge ordered the government to release all refugees who have been arrested by immigration agents while awaiting their permanent residency documents and to return refugees taken out of Minnesota to the state.In a strongly-worded ruling, Judge John Tunheim said refugees “are not committing crimes on our streets, nor did they illegally cross the border,” adding that the US had been “a haven of individual liberties”.Shortly after Pretti was killed, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had accused him of “domestic terrorism” and said he was “brandishing” a gun.Republican and Democratic lawmakers are now calling for Noem and the White House’s lead adviser on immigration, Stephen Miller, to be removed. On Wednesday, senior Democrats in the House threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Noem unless she resigned or was fired.Meanwhile, members of both parties are openly discussing removing funding for DHS in spending legislation that Congress must pass to keep the government from shutting down on 1 February. — Agencies
Keep Up to Date with our Weekly Newsletter
