Karoline Leavitt refers to an article about Tom Homan, the White House chief of border affairs, during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on January 26, 2026 in Washington, DC. PHOTO: WIN MCNAMEE / Getty images / Profimedia
The White House said on Monday that President Donald Trump does not want to see people hurt or killed on the streets of the United States, but he will not give up his efforts to deport “violent and criminal illegal aliens” from Minnesota, Reuters reports.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt held a briefing after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday by federal immigration agents (ICE) sparked outrage among Americans. It was the second killing of an American citizen in Minnesota this month.
“Let's be clear about the circumstances that led to that moment on Saturday. This tragedy occurred as a result of deliberate and hostile resistance by Minnesota Democratic leaders that lasted for weeks,” Leavitt said.
Video footage from the scene, verified by Reuters, contradicts the Trump administration's version that immigration agents fired in self-defense after Pretti approached them with a gun. The footage shows Pretti holding a phone — not a gun — as agents tackled him to the ground. Officers are also seen removing the firearm hidden near his belt after he was restrained, moments before fatally shooting him. Pretti has a legal permit to carry a gun.
Leavitt also said Monday that Trump “will never back down on his promise to deport violent illegal aliens and make America safe again, and he welcomes any cooperation on that.”
The US president “doesn't want to see people hurt or killed in the streets” but calls for “an end to the resistance and chaos” surrounding his immigration deportation policy, the White House spokeswoman added.
Democratic leaders have vehemently opposed the wave of immigration agents sent by the Trump administration to Minnesota, which they characterized as an illegal invasion that endangers public safety. Meanwhile, massive street protests also took place in sub-zero temperatures.
Leavitt called on Minnesota political leaders to turn over illegal immigrants in jail, along with any illegal aliens with active warrants or known criminal records, to federal authorities for immediate deportation.
She added that Trump wants the U.S. Congress to immediately pass a law to end policies that some cities have in place to grant asylum to undocumented people crossing the border.
Alex Pretti's killing came after an ICE agent fatally shot another American citizen, Renee Good, after he approached her stopped car on January 7.
