More than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies are calling for an “immediate deescalation of tensions” and for officials at the federal, state and local level to work together to find “real solutions” following the latest fatal shooting involving federal immigration agents.
Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed on Saturday by Border Patrol agents while recording federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. An ICU nurse, Pretti appeared to be attempting to attend to a woman agents knocked down when he was sprayed with an irritant, pushed to the ground and beaten. An agent was seen pulling Pretti’s lawfully owned gun from his waistband before other agents fired several shots and killed him.
The shooting follows recent unrest over the ICE-involved killing of Renee Nicole Good in the same city earlier this month.
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“The business community in Minnesota prides itself in providing leadership and solving problems to ensure a strong and vibrant state,” the CEOs said in an open letter. “The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life.”
“For the past several weeks, representatives of Minnesota’s business community have been working every day behind the scenes with federal, state and local officials to advance real solutions,” the letter continued. “These efforts have included close communication with the Governor, the White House, the Vice President and local mayors. There are ways for us to come together to foster progress.”
The CEOs added: “With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.”
The business leaders said, “we have been working for generations to build a strong and vibrant state here in Minnesota and will do so in the months and years ahead with equal and even greater commitment.”
“In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future,” they concluded.
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This comes amid weeks of unrest in Minneapolis, as the Trump administration attempts to defend the shootings involving federal agents, while state and local leaders and demonstrators are urging immigration agents to leave the city.
“Minnesota believes in law and order,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on Sunday. “We believe in peace. And we believe that Trump needs to pull his 3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another American in the street.”
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