Immigrant Rights Groups Press Governor Shapiro To End ICE Cooperation After Minneapolis Shooting
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has intensified his criticism of federal immigration enforcement following the January 24 killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse and Department of Veterans Affairs employee, was fatally shot during a federal enforcement sweep known as “Operation Metro Surge.” The incident has drawn sharp condemnation from Shapiro, who described the federal administration’s tactics as “pure evil” and pledged to protect Pennsylvania residents from similar overreach.
Despite the Governor’s escalated rhetoric, immigrant rights organizations within the Commonwealth argue that his administration must take concrete steps to align its policies with his public statements. Advocacy groups, including Make the Road PA, are demanding that Shapiro use his executive authority to sever all state-level cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Key demands from these groups include revoking ICE’s access to Pennsylvania state databases and ending the practice of honoring civil immigration detainers in state prisons. Currently, the Shapiro administration allows federal agents access to certain state data systems and permits the transfer of individuals from state custody to ICE, policies that advocates say facilitate the very operations Shapiro is criticizing.
“It is easy for him to point the finger to somebody else, but then what is he doing at home?” a local advocate stated regarding the Governor’s response. Activists contend that without ending these cooperative agreements, Pennsylvania remains complicit in the federal deportation agenda. While Shapiro has prepared state agencies for potential federal crackdowns, he has not yet moved to dismantle the existing infrastructure of cooperation that advocates say puts immigrant communities at risk.
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