There has been political and local reaction across the United States following yet another killing by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, [ICE], after a 37-year-old intensive care nurse was shot dead in Minneapolis.
The man, Alexi Pretti, was reportedly shot three times while attempting to assist someone who had been injured during a protest against ICE actions.
Initial reports suggested agents believed he was carrying a gun.
However, The New York Times has reported that he was not armed and that what he had been holding was his phone.
Speaking on The Anton Savage Show, Larry Donnelly, law lecturer from the University of Galway and columnist with The Journal.ie, said the killing - the second involving masked federal agents in Minnesota - was deeply disturbing.
“It’s absolutely appalling,” he said.
“This poor guy who was there trying to do the right thing, trying to help somebody else, was effectively shot in cold blood,” he said.
The Lecturer emphasised the stark reality of the situation in the United States.
‘This is almost the inevitable consequence of having undertrained, combative individuals wearing masks on the streets.”
“It’s an appalling vista, it’s one I never thought I’d see in my lifetime,” he added.
Public backlash
Donnelly said the incident presents a major political challenge for Donald Trump and the Republican Party, particularly among voters who oppose federal overreach.
He added that the victim is likely to be viewed sympathetically by the public.
"If you look at the public reaction at large, the vast majority of people are opposed to what ICE has done.”
“Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse, by all accounts, a really good guy.”
"I think this is a very big political problem for the administration.”
Donnelly also raised concerns about the lack of oversight and accountability, as the fatal shooting merits an investigation into the ICE agent.
He warned that the situation in Minnesota is reaching a breaking point.
“I think that that city is on the verge of exploding.”
He remarked that despite the "bitterly cold temperatures" the United States are facing, it has not stopped people from displaying their outrage in a public way.
"I think given this instance and given what already has happened, I think that city is going to be a very dangerous place," Donnelly added.
