Washington, D.C.—Church World Service expresses its horror and grief in response to the shooting and killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti by federal immigration enforcement officers on Saturday morning in Minneapolis. Pretti was an American citizen and Minnesotan who worked as a registered nurse in the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Pretti was shot and killed just 17 days after the killing of fellow Minnesotan Renee Nicole Good.
In response to the shocking killing, Church World Service President and CEO, Rick Santos, issued the following statement:
“Our prayers are with Alex Pretti’s family and loved ones, and with the entire Minneapolis community.
We stand with the thousands of community members, faith leaders, and clergy who marched this past Friday across Minneapolis calling for an end to the violence. We stand with immigrants, refugees, and peaceful protesters, whose safety is at greater risk every day, and we commit to surrounding our immigrant neighbors with love and assistance.
The violence must end. We stand resolute with all who peacefully resist ICE and CBP’s reckless and lawless actions. The victims, their families, and the American people deserve accountability for the Department of Homeland Security’s lawless operations and an end to their brutal tactics.”
Church World Service calls on political leaders to welcome the sojourner and love our neighbors by ensuring significant guardrails on ICE and CBP, and by limiting funding for their operations. Militarized federal agents have no place in our communities, especially when they aggressively disregard Constitutional rights to speech and assembly.
To join with CWS in demanding these changes visit our Action Alert center.
For more information or to speak with Santos, contact media@cwsglobal.org.