Walz Compares Immigration Enforcement to Holocaust Following Fatal ICE Shooting

On Sunday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz drew a controversial parallel between federal immigration enforcement in the state and the Holocaust, referencing Anne Frank’s “Diary of a Little Girl” after a fatal shooting by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis.

The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, resulting in the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a nurse working in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Initial reports suggested that Pretti was armed and resisted arrest. However, local accounts indicated that he was disarmed before the shooting took place.

During a news conference, Walz emphasized that aggressive federal immigration actions have left some Minnesota children in fear, even reluctant to leave their homes. He remarked, “There are children in Minnesota who are hiding inside their homes because they are afraid to go outside. Many of us grew up reading the stories of Anne Frank.”

He further stated that someone would inevitably write a children’s story about Minnesota, adding, “And there’s one person who can end this story right now,” directing his comments at President Donald Trump.

Walz criticized Trump for allegedly tarnishing the reputation of victims and called out the president for “gassing the entire country” while trying to obscure evidence related to the incidents. “This family has been through enough,” he added, condemning Trump’s behavior toward Pretti’s family.

In the aftermath, Trump defended the government’s actions, asserting that Pretti was armed. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller referred to him as a “candidate assassin” and “domestic terrorist,” saying he attempted to harm federal agents. Homeland Security Commissioner Kristi Noem also claimed Pretti “violently resisted” arrest, stating that agents acted out of fear for their safety.

Walz, however, portrayed Pretti quite differently—as a cherished member of his community and a decent man with a legally obtained concealed carry permit. “He was loved by his family, was an excellent ICU nurse, was great at working with veterans, was loved by the community, had no criminal record, and was a legal firearms owner,” he stated.

Moreover, Walz alleged that federal officials prevented state investigators from accessing the crime scene and tried to tamper with evidence. “He then closed down the crime scene, wiped out the evidence,” he claimed. “I don’t care if you’re a conservative and you carry a Donald Trump flag… If we can’t all agree on slandering the American people, denigrating everything they stand for, and asking us not to believe what we see, then I don’t know what else to say.”

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, alongside the Minnesota Division of Criminal Enforcement, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking to preserve evidence related to the shooting, naming various federal agencies and officials as defendants.