Arrests of Journalists Fuel Backlash as Anti-ICE Protests Spread from Minneapolis

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The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who was killed in Minneapolis last weekend, as more arrests were made during protests against the immigration crackdown and the backlash continues to grow nationwide.

Why it matters

The protests and arrests of journalists have heightened tensions and sparked a national backlash against the government's aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, raising concerns about civil liberties and the treatment of both protesters and members of the press.

The details

The Justice Department's civil rights investigation comes after the shooting death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, during protests in Minneapolis last weekend. Authorities have also made additional arrests of protesters in Minnesota as the anti-ICE demonstrations have spread across the country, further fueling the national backlash against the government's immigration crackdown.

• The Justice Department announced the civil rights investigation on January 30, 2026.
• The protests and arrests of journalists occurred last weekend in Minneapolis.

What’s next

The Justice Department's civil rights investigation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing to make arrests of protesters in Minnesota and other locations as the anti-ICE demonstrations spread.