Ellison: ‘No Cooperation’ from Federal Agencies in Deadly Minnesota Shootings
WASHINGTON — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told a Senate committee regarding federal immigration enforcement on Thursday that state investigators have been completely walled off from federal probes into the recent deaths of two Minnesota residents.
Speaking before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Ellison detailed a breakdown in communication between state law enforcement and federal agencies, specifically the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). When asked by Senator Gary Peters about the level of collaboration regarding the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Ellison offered a stark assessment.
“We haven’t had any cooperation up until now, which is really unusual,” Ellison said.
The Attorney General’s testimony comes amid heightened tensions following the launch of “Operation Metro Surge” in December 2025, a federal immigration enforcement initiative that has seen a significant increase in the presence of federal agents in the Twin Cities. The operation has faced intense scrutiny after two fatal encounters involving federal officers in January.
State Investigators “Shut Out”
According to Ellison, agents from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) have been denied access to critical evidence typically shared in joint-jurisdiction shootings. He noted that state officials have been unable to examine shell casings, review unredacted reports, or access the vehicle driven by Renee Good when she was killed.
“In Minnesota, if you are killed—particularly if you are killed in connection with an action by an official, federal or state—we will investigate your death,” Ellison told the committee. “It is a highly unusual, strange situation, but we are, with good faith, hoping that things will change.”
The lack of coordination breaks from decades of established protocol where state and federal agencies typically run parallel or joint investigations to ensure transparency. In previous incidents involving federal agents in Minnesota, local authorities were routinely granted access to crime scenes and forensic data.
The Shootings of Good and Pretti
The controversy centers on two separate incidents that occurred weeks apart. On January 7, 2026, Renee Good, a 37-year-old resident, was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a traffic stop in Minneapolis. Early reports from federal officials claimed the agent acted in self-defense, alleging Good used her vehicle as a weapon. However, witness video and subsequent unrest have fueled demands for an independent state-led inquiry. The DOJ has since declined to open a civil rights investigation into Good’s death, a move Ellison criticized as premature.
Weeks later, on January 24, Alex Pretti, a nurse and licensed gun owner, was fatally shot by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents while filming an arrest during a protest. While the DOJ announced on January 30 that it would open a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death, state officials maintain they remain excluded from the process.
Federal Response and “Operation Metro Surge”
During the same hearing, federal officials defended their protocols. Tom Homan, the administration’s “border czar,” announced that Operation Metro Surge would be winding down, stating the initiative had successfully reduced the region’s status as a “sanctuary for criminals.” Homan did not directly address Ellison’s claims regarding evidence suppression but emphasized that federal agents had faced hostile environments and “aggressive clashes” that complicated standard procedures.
Republicans on the committee, including Senator Ron Johnson, pushed back against Ellison’s testimony, suggesting that state rhetoric had inflamed tensions and made the agents’ jobs more dangerous. Johnson accused local leadership of encouraging protests that put both civilians and officers at risk.
Ellison rejected those characterizations, asserting that the request for evidence is a matter of basic legal procedure, not politics. “We are simply asking for the ability to find the truth,” Ellison said. “The families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti deserve to know exactly what happened, and the state of Minnesota has a statutory obligation to find out.”
As the hearing concluded, it remained unclear whether the DOJ or DHS would shift their stance and provide the requested evidentiary access to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. For now, the investigations remain bifurcated, with state authorities relying on witness accounts and bystander video while federal agencies retain control over the physical evidence.
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