Border Patrol agents involved in Minnesota shooting of Alex Pretti placed on administrative leave – POLITICO

Border Patrol agents involved in Minnesota shooting of Alex Pretti placed on administrative leave

The agency says that’s standard protocol.

By Gregory Svirnovskiy 01/28/2026 02:24 PM EST, Updated: 01/28/2026 03:16 PM EST

Two Customs and Border Protection agents involved in the killing of Minnesota nurse Alex Pretti last week have been placed on administrative leave, the agency said on Wednesday.

The agency said the leave is “standard protocol.” But it appears to be a change in status for the two agents, who were not identified. Since-sidelined Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino on Sunday told reporters the agents were at work in other cities.

“All agents that were involved in that scene are working, not in Minneapolis but in other locations,” Bovino said. “That’s for their safety.”

After publication, an agency spokesperson said in a second statement that the officers had been on leave since Saturday, apparently contradicting Bovino. The agency did not immediately respond to questions about the change.

The measure is just one of several steps the Trump administration has taken to manage the fallout from Pretti’s death, the second time this month that federal immigration agents shot and killed an American citizen in the state.

Amid intense backlash to President Donald Trump’s harsh crackdown on Minneapolis, including from some Republican members of Congress, the White House removed Bovino from Minneapolis and sidelined Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Both had faced criticism for falsely suggesting Pretti was a “terrorist” in the hours after he was shot.

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