The White House said on Monday that President Donald Trump does not want to see violence in America’s streets after a fatal shooting in Minnesota that has fueled public anger and political tensions.
The case concerned 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal officers on Saturday. It was the second fatal shooting of a US citizen in the state of Minnesota this month, which also increased the debate over Federal immigration enforcement operations in the state.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt came out against the tide of outrage to answer reporters. She said the president is still firm with his agenda on immigration and won’t scale back enforcement efforts.
Leavitt described the shooting as a result of what she referred to as “deliberate and hostile resistance” to federal immigration authorities by Democratic leaders in Minnesota, claiming that opposition to federal immigration authorities had been brewing for weeks.
However, there appears to be video footage from the scene that has been verified by Reuters and would appear to contradict the official story.
Authorities initially said immigration agents shot in self-defence after Pretti approached them with a handgun. In the footage, Pretti is holding a phone when he is forced to the ground by the officers. Moments later he was fatally shot.
Leavitt reiterated that Trump “will never back down from his promise to deport violent criminal illegal aliens and make America safe again.” She urged Minnesota officials to cooperate with federal officials and transfer undocumented immigrants in local custody, especially ones with active warrants or criminal records, to face deportation.
Minnesota Democratic leaders have attacked the federal presence, labelling it a threat to public safety. Large protests have been going on all over the state, in freezing temperatures, as political division over immigration enforcement has run deep.
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