Alex Pretti’s family demands answers, says DOJ withholding info

Nine months after Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, his parents are still demanding answers. His parents held a press conference yesterday. H ere’s his mother , Susan Pretti:

“The Federal government went on TV and lied about Alex. They tried to slander his memory to cover up their crime. …We want our sons’ killers brought to justice once and for all.”

Nine months have passed and the government has not provided any details on a fair investigation, nor have they updated the family and the American public of their findings. Here’s Alex’s father , Michael Pretti: “We know exactly what our eyes saw, Alex was murdered and he should be here today with us.”

He continues: “No one from the federal government called us that day, they didn’t call us the next day nor the next, nor the next 275 days. We have not heard anything from the federal government.”

Minnesota officials say the federal government stopped sharing evidence in the investigations into Pretti’s killing and the January shooting death of Renee Good. You’ll remember evidence began arriving in July, including body-camera footage and interview records. But Spectrum News reports that court filings say the transfers stopped, and prosecutors were told in September that sharing would be paused indefinitely because of “challenges with D.C.” Now, the Justice Department is arguing it has discretion to withhold information.

We all saw that video of Alex Pretti. Then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem seemed to have all the answers. She faced heavy scrutiny over her reaction to Alex Pretti’s killing. Hours after the shooting, Noem alleged he had “approached” Border Patrol agents with a gun and “violently resisted” after officers tried to disarm him, and Greg Bovino — then commander at-large of the Border Patrol — accused Alex Pretti of trying to “massacre law enforcement.” The family says they have received no apologies for either statement, even though soon after Noem was fired and Bovino was demoted.

And even with all the public outcry, the administration has failed to make major changes or update Americans on the way forward.

A ProPublica investigation published this month documented 506 cases of American citizens detained by immigration agents during the Trump administration so far. More than 100 were held after agents questioned their citizenship, nearly all people of color. At least 70 children and teenagers were detained, some were even handcuffed. And of more than 300 citizens accused of obstructing agents, fewer than half were charged in federal court; many cases were later dropped or dismissed.

ProPublica also documented 63 citizens detained while recording events, 36 held for at least a day without access to family or a lawyer, and roughly a dozen U.S. citizens that were actually deported, mostly children. What is this?!

These finding raise some serious questions about whether immigration enforcement is adequately protecting citizens’ rights.

The polls show that Americans are unhappy with this strategy. A Pew Research Center survey conducted Sept. 28 through Oct. 4 found 56 percent of adults viewed ICE unfavorably , up from 49 percent a year earlier. A Fox News poll found 53 percent of registered voters said the administration’s immigration enforcement had gone too far .

The administration has an obligation to respect constitutional rights, investigate fatal shootings transparently and answer legitimate questions.

Alex Pretti and Renee Good’s families both deserves answers, and Americans deserve to see the accountability once the federal government goes too far.

Lindsey Granger is a NewsNation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.