Neighbors and city officials in Chicago organized protests over the weekend following the fatal shooting of Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents. The incident, which occurred Saturday morning in Minneapolis, has prompted renewed calls from local leaders for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Protests began Saturday at Logan Square’s Centennial Monument, where residents and elected officials voiced their concerns about federal immigration enforcement. Ald. Rossana Rodriguez (35th) addressed the crowd, saying, “We have to be ready to put our bodies on the line. What we are seeing right now is scary, but we have to stick together. There is no other path right now. This is all there is.”
Thousands gathered Sunday for a rally and march that started at Ida B. Wells Drive and Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. Among those calling for action were Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson, both of whom advocated for dismantling ICE after Pretti’s death.
“ICE must be abolished,” Johnson said on social media. “We cannot allow Trump’s militarized masked police force to continue to kill innocent people with impunity. Chicago stands in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis confronting this tyranny.”
According to video footage reviewed by multiple sources, Pretti was shot several times by a border agent while recording officers during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Analysis by The New York Times found that although Pretti had a registered handgun on his person, he was only holding his phone when he was killed.
The demonstrations continued throughout Saturday as protesters marched through Logan Square and surrounding neighborhoods. Residents displayed signs criticizing ICE and called for collective action against federal enforcement operations.
Neighbor Matt McGuire commented on the nature of the protest: “This is the thing that will help us all stay together, to stay connected, to get through the next two-three years or however long it takes. This isn’t violent, this isn’t any any armed resistance … Nonviolent disruption is one of our greatest tools.”
Recent months have seen increased federal enforcement actions targeting communities such as Minneapolis’s Somali-American population amid allegations of business fraud within that community.
State Sen. Graciela Guzmán referenced previous incidents involving federal agents: “For Silverio here in Franklin Park … for the hundreds of people who have died in ICE custody, this will not stop,” she said. “[ICE] has blood on their hands that they refuse to wash. However, I know with the strength of this community, we will have accountability, we will have justice, but we have to stay together.”
Sunday’s downtown protest drew thousands despite cold weather conditions and featured speeches from elected officials including Mayor Johnson and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.
Addressing demonstrators, Johnson stated: “We are not okay with ICE attempting to occupy our cities. We are not okay with ICE storming our communities and kidnapping our families. We are not okay with ICE killing and shooting innocent people without impunity … Not only should we defund ICE, but it is time to abolish ICE and send Greg Bovino out.” He also urged lawmakers across party lines “to vote now to put an end to Trump’s terror.”
Congresswoman Delia Ramirez highlighted an upcoming Senate vote on Homeland Security funding and discussed her co-sponsorship of legislation aimed at cutting resources used by Homeland Security for immigrant detention or monitoring.
“We’re going to dismantle the Department of Homeland Security!” Ramirez told attendees at Sunday’s rally. “It is our responsibility in this precise moment to demonstrate what moral courage and clarity looks like … We can do two things. We can defund ICE and [Customs and Border Protection] and we can also pass legislation so that they never harm us again.”
Some protesters expressed cautious optimism about official statements against ICE but called for concrete legislative action rather than rhetoric alone.
Giovi, an organizer present at Sunday’s demonstration, said: “This is a good indication of the window shifting strategically… But it’s also just lip service… so when I see concrete action, I’ll be much more enthused.” Giovi added that sustained labor strikes targeting companies involved with Department of Homeland Security policies could be an effective step toward change.
The recent events follow earlier fatal encounters between federal agents and civilians both in Minnesota and Illinois.
