February 1 – 5-year-old Liam and his father Adrian Conejo Arias were seen leaving the detention center and boarded a plane out of Texas to be reunited with wife and mother in Minneapolis, MN. Federal Judge Fred Biery has ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, marking a significant development in a case that has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and immigrant rights advocates. They were both arrested in a suburb of Minneapolis and many observers have stated that the child was used as “bait” to extract his father.
────────────────────────
January 30— As reported ealier by SW Newsmagazine and as statements released by his attorney and confirmed by federal authorities, former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested Thursday night by federal agents in Los Angeles while covering events related to the upcoming Grammy Awards; authorities say the arrest is connected to his coverage of a protest earlier this month in Minnesota that disrupted a church service. Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said Lemon was there in a journalistic capacity and called the action an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment,” and Lemon plans to fight any charges in court.
This matters because journalism does not exist in a vacuum — it exists under the protection of the First Amendment, which guarantees five fundamental freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. These protections form the backbone of a democratic society by preventing government interference with religious practice, prohibiting the establishment of a state religion, and safeguarding the public’s right to speak freely, to report the news, and to question authority without fear of retaliation.
The full story is here.
Don Lemon’s attorney statement
January 28- Calls for the resignation of Kristi Noem are increasing from within the administration. Members of the Republican Party are joining Democratic leadership in calling for Noem to step down, following what many perceive as her mishandling of the Department of Homeland Security, which resulted in three shootings, two fatal, in Minnesota in January, and the arrest of countless U.S. citizens without cause. As of today, Trump is standing by her.
────────────────────────
January 26, 4:35 PM— Border Patrol leader Greg Bovino loses top role after deadly federal enforcement in Minneapolis
Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino has been removed from his post as the agency’s “commander at large” and is expected to return to his prior assignment in California, effectively ending his leadership role in Minneapolis following intense national backlash over the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents last weekend. The move, confirmed by Homeland Security officials and reported by multiple outlets, comes as Minneapolis boils over amid widespread protests and political fallout after Pretti was killed during a federal immigration enforcement operation — the second Minneapolis resident shot fatally by federal personnel in just weeks. Earlier on January 7, 37-year-old Renée Good was also killed by an ICE agent during enforcement actions, fueling local outrage and calls for federal accountability. The series of deadly encounters — part of the broader “Operation Metro Surge” deployment — have amplified scrutiny of aggressive immigration tactics and intensified demands from Minnesota officials and lawmakers for changes to the federal presence.
────────────────────────
Sunday 8:30 PM Update: National Guard Deployed to Federal Building Amid Protests
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota National Guard was activated and deployed Saturday, Jan. 25, 2026, to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis near Fort Snelling following a fatal shooting by a federal agent, according to state officials and reports from the scene.
The building houses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices and has been the focal point of sustained protests since the shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a Veterans Affairs intensive care nurse.
Witnesses reported a sizable Guard presence, including armored vehicles or carriers positioned around the facility. At least three additional National Guard carriers arrived Saturday and were at times surrounded by demonstrators. The National Guards were seen passing hot beverages such as hot chocolates and coffees, offering donuts to demonstrators, clearly in an effort to deescalate the tension.
The deployment is part of a broader mobilization of approximately 1,500 Guard members in the Twin Cities area to support local law enforcement and provide security at critical infrastructure sites.
Officials have said Guard troops are assisting with security and crowd control support and are not directly conducting law enforcement operations.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
────────────────────────
Sunday 7:30 PM – Federal Officers Remain on Duty After Fatal Shooting of VA Nurse, Departing From Standard Law Enforcement Practice
MINNEAPOLIS — Federal officers involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a Veterans Affairs intensive care nurse, have remained on active duty throughout the investigation, a departure from standard law enforcement procedures that has raised questions about oversight within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Office of Homeland Security confirmed that none of the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, reassigned to desk duty, or temporarily relocated since the shooting. The agency has not publicly explained the decision.
Across U.S. law enforcement agencies, officers involved in shootings are almost universally placed on paid administrative leave immediately following an incident. The practice is intended to remove officers from field duty while facts are gathered and to preserve the integrity of criminal and administrative investigations.
Standard post-shooting procedures typically include the securing of the officer’s firearm for forensic testing, mandatory mental health evaluations, representation by legal counsel or union officials, and multiple parallel investigations — including a criminal inquiry and an internal review to determine compliance with agency policy. A review board or similar panel usually assesses the findings before an officer returns to duty.
None of those measures have been publicly acknowledged in the Pretti case.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not stated whether the officers’ weapons were removed for testing, whether counseling or fitness-for-duty evaluations were conducted, or whether an internal administrative investigation is underway alongside any criminal review.
Pretti was killed during an enforcement operation. Officials have released limited details about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, citing the ongoing investigation.
Legal experts say the decision to keep officers in the field during an unresolved fatal shooting is unusual and may complicate public trust in the investigative process.
At a news conference after the shooting, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said:
“Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands.” — Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara
ICE did not respond to multiple email and phone requests from SW Newsmagazine for comment regarding agency policy on officer-involved shootings or whether the handling of this case reflects standard federal practice.
The investigation remains ongoing.
A second cellphone video, first shared on Reddit and now widely circulated, appears to show the moments immediately preceding the shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti. In the footage, several people are standing in the street filming immigration agents as an officer shoves an individual to the ground. Pretti is then seen stepping toward the scene, seemingly attempting to help the person who had been pushed down. An agent appears to spray Pretti directly in the face before grabbing and dragging him to the pavement. Multiple agents quickly surround him. Within seconds, a rapid series of gunshots is heard, though the video does not show Pretti posing an obvious threat at the moment shots are fired.
────────────────────────
Governor Walz Activates the National Guard – at 1 PM
In late January 2026, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard in response to escalating unrest after a federal immigration agent shot and killed a Minneapolis resident during a federal enforcement operation. The Guard was ordered at the request of local authorities to support law enforcement and assist with public safety and crowd management amid ongoing protests over the shooting — the second fatal encounter out of three shootings involving federal agents in the city in the past 17 days.
Minnesotans and our local law enforcement have done everything we can to deescalate. The federal government must deescalate. I once again call on the President to remove the 3,000 agents from Minnesota who are sowing chaos and violence. – Walz said in a press statement
────────────────────────
In a week that has plunged Minneapolis into deeper outrage and grief, another life has been taken in the name of federal immigration enforcement — this time, not a stranger in a distant conflict zone, but one of our own.
Today, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, was allegedly shot as many as 10 times and killed, according to multiple witnesses at the scene. Authorities have not yet released an official count. His death marks the third shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis in just 17 days; two of them were fatal.
Minnesota Public Radio reported a witness account from the scene:
“The gentleman I was standing next to was focused on helping people who were coming into Nicollet Avenue understand that they needed to take it slow and helping them get through. The ICE agents approached us, told us to ‘back up, back up.’ I’m not even sure why — we were helping them, if anything. I got on the snowbank, and next thing I knew, they shot him.”
A Life of Service, Taken Too Soon
Pretti, an American citizen with no criminal record, was not just another bystander. He was a healer, a caregiver, and a neighbor. A licensed registered nurse who worked long hours in the ICU caring for veterans, colleagues described him as compassionate, steady under pressure, and quick with humor.
According to federal authorities and the Department of Homeland Security, agents opened fire after claiming Pretti approached them with a handgun. Local law enforcement later confirmed that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit and no criminal history beyond minor traffic violations. ICE has not yet released a full public timeline of the operation or the actions that led to the shooting.
Witnesses at the scene allegedly said Pretti was holding a phone, not a weapon, and that he was sprayed with chemical agents, forced to the ground, and disarmed before shots were fired. “His hands were empty,” one witness said. “He had a permit for his gun. He was holding his phone and recording.” One witness also accused federal officials, including the Trump administration, of lying about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
He had a permit for his gun. He was holding his phone and recording. – said a witness at the scene who chose to remain anonynimous in fear of retributions.
Accounts of what happened next diverge sharply. Federal officials maintain the shooting was justified. However, multiple eyewitness videos show Pretti standing on the sidewalk holding what appears to be a camera phone, recording the unfolding events rather than brandishing a weapon. Additional footage shows Pretti tackled and restrained on the ground before more shots were fired. Witness estimates of the total number of shots vary widely.
Those same recordings appear to show Pretti attempting to assist others as agents deployed chemical spray and chaos spread through the area. Early analysis of footage circulating online suggests Pretti may have been acting as a legal observer or civilian witness — documenting an already tense encounter — and did not pose a threat that warranted lethal force.
Echoes of Another Tragedy: Renee Good
Pretti’s death comes just weeks after another controversial killing tied to federal immigration enforcement.
On Jan. 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, 37, during an ICE operation in Minneapolis. Federal authorities claimed the agent acted in self-defense after alleging Good attempted to drive her vehicle toward officers — a version of events disputed by witnesses and video evidence.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner later ruled Good’s death a homicide. Independent autopsies revealed she suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Her family and supporters continue to contest the federal account, insisting footage contradicts claims that she posed an imminent threat.
Both Good and Pretti were U.S. citizens with no history of violent behavior — one a mother whose family says she was raising six children, the other a dedicated intensive care nurse. Their deaths have intensified criticism of the expanding use of armed federal agents in urban immigration operations.
A City in Outrage
Tensions in Minneapolis are now at a breaking point. Protests have erupted repeatedly since Good’s killing, and Pretti’s death has further fueled demands for accountability, transparency, and independent investigation. Local leaders, civil rights organizations, and community members are calling for greater oversight as conflicting narratives continue to emerge.
As the nation watches, Minneapolis finds itself mourning two lives lost in encounters with federal agents — while confronting fundamental questions about the role of immigration enforcement on city streets and the value placed on human life during moments of state power and crisis.
Alex Pretti’s story — a nurse, a witness, a Minnesotan who believed in protecting others — deserves more than silence. It demands truth.
Minneapolis Emergency Management Director Rachel Sayre spoke about the heightened danger in the city at this time and warned about the lasting impact of prolonged periods of stress and danger.
Gov. Tim Walz wrote on X, “The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.
This is a developing story. We will update it as new information becomes available.
Main Photo by Maxim Hopman
Discover more from SW Newsmagazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
