In brief
Minneapolis is shaken after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents, marking the second such incident in a month. Local churches have turned into havens for community support, while protests against ongoing immigration enforcement operations grow louder. Advocacy for legislative changes is gaining momentum as citizens unite in grief and anger over federal actions seen as oppressive.
At the Calvary Baptist Church in Minneapolis, the doors swung open and shut as locals sought refuge from the biting cold on Sunday.
The 140-year-old building sits just blocks away from where Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was shot dead by federal immigration agents during a confrontation on Saturday morning.
In the wake of the shooting, which marked the second time in less than a month that a US citizen has been killed by agents in the city, the church has become what locals describe as a haven from the unrest and uncertainty outside.
There was no service here on Sunday. Instead volunteers and church staff, such as Ann Hotz, who works at the church's daycare centre, handed out coffee, snacks and hand warmers to those who stopped by.
Some were on their way to lay flowers at a nearby memorial for Pretti, while others visited on their way home from protests against the weeks-long federal immigration enforcement operation in the city.
Yesterday, I fell apart, Hotz told the BBC as she helped move cases of water outside. Today I'm here to stand with my community and help our neighbours as they remember Alex and mourn him.
But I do have to say, the helpers are getting really tired, she added. This is exhausting, and so we need there to be a change.
Dean Caldwell-Tautges, the church administrator, expressed his dismay at the ongoing federal actions. This is what America is now, he said, standing alongside community members as they rallied support.
The recent uptick in shootings connected to immigration agents has put Minneapolis at the center of a national debate on immigration policy, prompting protests and calls for the removal of the agents.
As mourners gather to honor Pretti’s life, the mood in Minneapolis remains tense, with community members demanding a change in how immigration enforcement is conducted. Protests have erupted throughout the city, demonstrating anger and frustration at what many perceive as a relentless assault on the rights of residents, both documented and undocumented.
Overall, the tragic incident has galvanized the community, revealing the deep concern among residents about their safety amid federal immigration enforcement operations.
