Federal agents attempt to control a growing crowd in south Minneapolis after Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents in the area early Saturday morning, January 24, 2026. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
About 60 chief executives at Minnesota-based companies called for "de-escalation of tensions" in the state after federal immigration agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a veterans' nurse.
Protests spread through Minneapolis, Minnesota in the past week over the Trump administration's ongoing immigration raids. Pretti was killed after attempting to film masked agents from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol as they were reportedly detaining someone. He was the second U.S. citizen killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis since Renee Good was killed earlier this month.
Signatories for the open letter included Best Buy $BBY CEO Corie Barrie, General Mills $GIS CEO Jeff Harmening, and incoming Target $TGT CEO Michael Fidelke.
Business leaders have largely sidestepped political conflict over the past year to avoid antagonizing the White House. Hours following the killing of Pretti, tech executives including Apple $AAPL CEO Tim Cook and AMD $AMD CEO Lisa Su reportedly attended a White House screening of an Amazon $AMZN-funded film about First Lady Melania Trump. The Minnesota CEOs' letter could signal a change in that approach, at least temporarily.
"The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life," the statement said. "With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions."
The companies further called "for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future."
The letter didn't list specific actions that could defuse tensions in Minnesota, nor assign responsibility to the federal government.
Democrats and scores of Republican lawmakers are now urging an independent investigation into Pretti's death. Hundreds of workers at some of the wealthiest tech firms have called on chief executives in the sector to "speak out publicly against I.C.E.’s violence."
