WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, both Democrats, on Sunday called the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti heartbreaking, sharply criticizing the federal government's actions, and urging the American public to "stand up."
"The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault," Obama said in a statement on social media platform X.
"For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city," Obama said, noting that these unprecedented, lawless tactics have resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.
The former president said that rather than trying to impose some semblance of discipline and accountability over the agents they've deployed, the president and current administration officials "seem eager to escalate the situation," while offering public explanations for the two fatal shootings that "aren't informed by any serious investigation - and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence."
"This has to stop," Obama said. "I would hope that after this most recent tragedy, administration officials will reconsider their approach, and start finding ways to work constructively with Governor Walz and Mayor Frey as well as state and local police to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals."
"Every American should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country. They are a timely reminder that ultimately it's up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our basic freedoms, and hold our government accountable," Obama said.
Clinton said in a statement on X that in recent weeks, "we've watched horrible scenes play out in Minneapolis and other communities that I never thought would take place in America."
"People, including children, have been seized from their homes, workplaces, and the street by masked federal agents. Peaceful protesters and citizens exercising their constitutional right to observe and document law enforcement have been arrested, beaten, teargassed, and most searingly, in the cases of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, shot and killed," said Clinton. "All of this is unacceptable and should have been avoided."
To make matters even worse, Clinton said, at every turn, "the people in charge have lied to us, told us not to believe what we've seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics, including impeding investigations by local authorities."
Clinton also called on Americans to stand up and speak out. "If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back. It is up to all of us who believe in the promise of American democracy to stand up, speak out, and show that our nation still belongs to We the People."
On Jan. 7, an ICE officer shot and killed 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good during a raid targeting illegal immigrants in Minneapolis, sparking local tensions and prompting protests across the country against violent law enforcement.
On Jan. 14, ICE officers shot and injured a Venezuelan man during another operation in the city, further intensifying the protests.
On the morning of Jan. 24, another immigration enforcement shooting occurred in Minneapolis, in which a U.S. Border Patrol officer fatally shot 37-year-old U.S. citizen Alex Pretti.
The two parties have offered sharply differing characterizations of these incidents. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz strongly criticized federal law enforcement, saying their actions had caused chaos in the area and calling on President Donald Trump to immediately end the operations targeting illegal immigrants in the state.
On Sunday, Trump said on the social media platform Truth Social that Democrat-run "sanctuary cities and states" were refusing to cooperate with immigration enforcement, arguing that the deaths of the two U.S. citizens were the result of "Democrat ensued chaos."
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Trump said that the government is "reviewing everything" regarding the recent fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The report also noted that Trump hinted that "at some point," immigration enforcement officers would eventually be withdrawn from the Minneapolis area. ■
