Yesterday, a federal court granted a temporary restraining order requested by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The order prevents the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies from destroying or altering evidence connected to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by DHS agents.
The incident occurred on January 24, 2026, near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. The restraining order specifically bars DHS employees, agents, and anyone acting with them from tampering with any evidence related to the shooting. This includes evidence removed from the scene or taken into exclusive custody by federal authorities.
In their memorandum supporting the request for an emergency order, state officials wrote: “… Plaintiffs’ irreparable harm is so weighty that any harm to the federal government does not even budge the scales.”
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. It names several federal agencies as defendants: DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), U.S. Border Control, their leadership teams, and United States Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Attorney General Ellison stated: “As long as I have the honor of serving as your Attorney General, I will fight defend the rule of law in Minnesota. Alex Pretti was killed by DHS agents in broad daylight in front of all of our eyes. Both the rule of law and the sense of justice we all carry within us demand a full, fair, and transparent investigation into his death. We will not settle for less. Tonight’s ruling protects that investigation by barring federal agents from altering or destroying any evidence they captured involving the fatal shooting of Alex. Justice will be done.”
The ruling is intended to ensure that all relevant materials are preserved while investigations proceed.
