Immigration
Chicago Protests Federal Enforcement After Second Fatal Shooting
Hundreds of Chicagoans gathered in the Loop on Sunday despite bitter cold to protest the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse killed by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Friday. The shooting—captured on video by multiple bystanders—has become a flashpoint in the escalating conflict between federal immigration enforcement and local communities.
Pretti, who worked at the VA hospital in Minneapolis, was filming federal agents with his phone when the encounter turned deadly. Video evidence reviewed by NPR, Reuters, and The Wall Street Journal appears to contradict the Department of Homeland Security's initial account. While DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti approached agents with a pistol, footage shows him holding only his phone when agents pepper-sprayed him and wrestled him to the ground. One video appears to show an agent removing Pretti's holstered firearm—he was a legal permit holder—less than a second before another agent opened fire.
A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order barring DHS from altering or destroying evidence in the case.
Minneapolis Police Chief O'Hara noted the grim arithmetic: of three homicides in Minneapolis so far in 2026, two were committed by federal immigration enforcement agents. The other victim, Renee Nicole Good, was shot and killed by ICE agents earlier this month. She was also a U.S. citizen.
This comes as Chicago and Illinois pursue a federal lawsuit alleging CBP and ICE have engaged in "unlawful actions, abusive enforcement tactics, and repeated rights violations" during "Operation Midway Blitz." The suit claims agents deployed tear gas at least 49 times across 18 incidents in Chicago over a 90-day period in 2025, arrested hundreds without warrants, and conducted a militarized raid of a South Shore apartment building that detained all residents, including children.
Looking Ahead
Monday Committee Meetings
Two committee meetings tomorrow, January 27th, may interest readers:
Committee on Housing and Real Estate meets at City Hall. With Chicago's ADU ordinance set to go citywide on April 1, housing policy remains a hot topic. The committee recently delayed a vote on proposed changes to economic disclosure requirements for people seeking city action.
Joint Committee on Immigrant & Refugee Rights and Police & Fire meets at 1:00 PM to discuss gaps in the Welcoming City Ordinance—timing that could hardly be more relevant. The first 30 minutes of each committee meeting is dedicated to public comment, both in-person and virtual.
Committee meetings are open to the public and livestreamed at chicityclerk.com. Arrive prepared for a security checkpoint with photo ID.
Schools are open Monday despite the lingering cold. Wind chills hit minus 36 at O'Hare Friday, but temperatures should stay above zero through the week. Stay warm.