Alex Pretti Shooting: Minnesota Judge Orders DHS To Preserve Evidence Ahead Of Hearing On Monday

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A federal judge in Minnesota has issued a temporary restraining order against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), barring federal officials from destroying or altering evidence related to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026.

The order was granted late Saturday at the request of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, which filed a lawsuit alleging that DHS mishandled evidence and blocked state investigators from accessing the crime scene.

Order aims to preserve evidence ahead of Monday hearing

US District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud - appointed by President Donald Trump - signed the temporary restraining order enjoining DHS and related federal agencies, their employees, agents and anyone acting on their behalf from destroying or altering any evidence connected to the shooting near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis.

The order is set to remain in place through Monday afternoon, when Judge Tostrud will hold a hearing on whether to extend the restraining order. Federal officials named as defendants include DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the US Attorney General's Office.

State officials demand transparency

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison welcomed the judge's ruling, saying it protects an ongoing effort for a“full, fair and transparent investigation” into Pretti's death. Ellison's office has emphasized that state law enforcement should play a central role in gathering and reviewing evidence.

City and state officials have said that federal agents prevented state investigators from entering the scene even after a judge‐signed search warrant was issued, raising concerns about evidence handling just hours after Pretti's killing.

DHS claims

The Department of Homeland Security has defended its actions, with officials asserting that Pretti approached Border Patrol agents armed with a 9 mm handgun and“violently resisted” efforts to disarm him. DHS has characterized the incident as a defensive response by federal agents.

However, legal filings and local officials dispute aspects of that narrative.

Alex Pretti's shooting

Alex Pretti, a 37‐year‐old US citizen and ICU nurse, was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration enforcement operation in south Minneapolis, one of several recent deadly federal law‐enforcement encounters in the city. The shooting sparked protests and renewed debates over federal immigration operations.

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