By Rosie Knight
It’s Saturday Jan 24, 2026. Less than a month ago President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies crossed a new breaking point when ICE agent Jonathan Ross murdered a U.S. Citizen and mother of three Renee Good. While that seems like the kind of event that would have been a watershed moment for our government and specifically Democratic leadership. Instead all there has been is insipid calls for peace and strongly worded social media posts directed at the ever more isolated and uncontrollable president, and in the wake of that lack of action something depressingly predictable and painful has happened, once again.
Early this morning in Minnesota, Border Patrol agents attacked Alex Pretti who was protecting another legal observer, beating him to the ground, and seconds later shooting him point blank in the back ten times, while he was held down, killing him in broad daylight. Another extrajudicial murder at the hands of ICE while our politicians stand by and do nothing but fund vague and legally expansive “Immigration Enforcement” bills, giving unlimited funds to the very people who are killing our neighbors in the streets. Although Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fray are demanding ICE and Border Patrol leave the city and the state, it is once again the community who have shown up for peaceful vigils and community rallies.
In both journalism and life as a woman, we know that there is no such thing as a perfect victim. So while its easy to highlight Pretti and how fantastic he was — both as an Intensive Care Unit nurse at a VA hospital and passionate community member — it’s important to remember that whether or not people are innocent or guilty, “good” or “bad”, cruel or kind, they are not supposed to be gunned down in the street by Federal Agents for practicing their constitutional right to film and watch Federal Agents as they enact their immigration crackdown. This is fascism. We are here, America is ground zero for its rise. They are manufacturing consent and pushing the boundaries of what we deem to be acceptable, as long as it’s couched in false ideas of protecting imaginary borders that were only invented in the last few hundred years.
If protesting makes you uncomfortable it’s time to sit with that discomfort because no one is safe. They murdered a white man who legally owned a weapon and was allowed to carry it both concealed and open. Videos have already shown that agents had disarmed him of the weapon he was legally allowed to carry before they shot him ten times in the back, while he was held down. If they are not scared to do that on camera, from ten angles, then they aren’t afraid of doing it to you, your loved ones, and your neighbors. The time to step outside is now, if it is safe for you to do so. And if not then see how you can support those closest to you. Knock on doors. Ask if people need grocery deliveries. Exchange next of kin details. We keep us safe.