Two federal agents involved in shooting of Alex Pretti have been on administrative leave since Saturday, DHS says

A photo of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol officer over the weekend, is displayed at the shooting scene Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Minneapolis.

(AP Photo/Adam Gray)

(AP) – The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that two federal agents involved in Pretti’s shooting have been on leave since Saturday.

The announcement came as Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in Minneapolis after a second deadly shooting by federal immigration agents, though there seemed to be little evidence of any significant changes following weeks of harsh rhetoric and clashes with protesters.

The strain was evident when Trump made a leadership change by sending his top border adviser to Minnesota to take charge of the immigration crackdown. That was followed by seemingly conciliatory remarks about the Democratic governor and mayor.

Trump said he and Gov. Tim Walz, whom he criticized for weeks, were on “a similar wavelength” following a phone call. After a conversation with Mayor Jacob Frey, the president praised the discussion and declared that “lots of progress is being made.”