Parents of ICU nurse killed by ICE demand DOJ release evidence

The parents of Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and intensive-care nurse who was shot by immigration officers in Minneapolis nine months ago, held a news conference Tuesday demanding that the Justice Department release all evidence concerning their son’s death. Michael and Susan Pretti said they have been left without information for 275 days, despite a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche requesting the identities of the officers involved.

“At every turn, they have ignored us, misled us and shielded Alex’s killers,” Michael Pretti said.

“We are here begging for the Department of Justice to do what is right,” Susan Pretti added.

Justice Department spokesperson Kiersten Pels told NBC News that communication with victims’ families typically occurs later in an investigation, such as after an indictment or trial, and that the timing aligns with standard practice.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who sued the Trump administration in March, said the federal government stopped sharing information with Minnesota investigators. Her office seeks access to evidence in the Pretti case and two other Minnesota shootings involving ICE officers. Moriarty accused the federal government this month of withholding evidence and obstructing the state’s investigation, and announced a motion for summary judgment to obtain the materials.

The Justice Department, in a filing in Washington, D.C., argued it can decline to share information with state authorities when no formal legal proceedings are pending. The Trump administration has previously asserted that state prosecutors lack jurisdiction over federal officers, a stance Minnesota officials have contested.

Steven L. Schleicher, the Prettis’ attorney, said his clients are entitled to the evidence under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act and questioned why the department is not providing it.

During his confirmation hearing, Attorney General Blanche said he expected the investigations to proceed as usual, noting that “the definition of full cooperation can be disputed.”

The Prettis also claimed that federal officials misrepresented the shooting in public statements, calling the alleged mischaracterization “shameful” and “unacceptable.”