ICE and Federal Agents Have Killed More Than Just Renée Good and Alex Pretti This Month
Federal immigration enforcement actions in January 2026 have resulted in multiple deaths, both in custody and during enforcement operations, intensifying debate over ICE and Border Patrol use of force.
In Minneapolis on Jan. 24, federal agents shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and ICU nurse, during an immigration enforcement operation, igniting protests and national scrutiny. Local videos and witness accounts suggest Pretti may have been holding a phone, not posing a lethal threat, when agents fired, contradicting federal self-defense claims.
Earlier in the month, on Jan. 7, Renée Nicole Good, also 37 and a U.S. citizen, was shot by an ICE agent during another Minneapolis enforcement action. Autopsy reports and independent examination challenge the government’s version of events, saying she was shot multiple times as her vehicle moved away.
Deaths have also occurred inside ICE custody. On Jan. 3 at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, died of asphyxia, a coroner ruled homicide after initial government accounts described suicide. Days later, Victor Manuel Diaz, 36, died at the same facility, with conflicting narratives over the circumstances.
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Advocacy organizations and Reuters tracking report additional deaths in ICE custody this month, though several names circulating on social media — including Keith Porter Jr., Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, and others — have not been independently verified by major outlets.
Civil liberties groups and local officials are demanding independent investigations into these deaths and federal enforcement tactics. Critics argue that aggressive immigration operations risk constitutional rights and community safety, while federal authorities maintain actions are lawful and necessary. The unfolding controversy could influence upcoming DHS budget negotiations and nationwide immigration enforcement policies.
The focus now turns to federal inquiries and potential legal challenges as families and communities push for answers.
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