Press Contacts:
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David Coy, editor@sfbar.org, 510-333-7249
Nation of Laws Coalition Condemns Condemns Deadly Federal Overreach in Minneapolis
January 28, 2026
The Nation of Laws Coalition condemns the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. When federal law enforcement operates without meaningful oversight, transparency, or accountability—using deadly force against U.S. citizens and detaining observers who document enforcement operations—we abandon the foundational principle that government power must be exercised within the bounds of law. A constitutional republic cannot survive when federal agents act as a law unto themselves, unaccountable to the communities they are meant to serve and operating outside the constitutional constraints that protect citizens' First and Fourth Amendment rights.
“The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti represent a complete breakdown of accountability in federal law enforcement. A government that operates outside the law, that shoots civilians and suppresses documentation of its actions, is not engaged in law enforcement. It is engaged in lawless enforcement. Every American who believes in constitutional government must demand immediate transparency, independent investigation, and real accountability for these deaths.”
“Over the last few weeks, we have seen the killing of two U.S. citizens – Renee Good and Alex Pretti – at the hands of federal agents. Both of these killings are unspeakable tragedies.
While immigration agents have a difficult mission, they must be accountable under the law and operate in a lawful manner. It should be a flashing red light to all of us that within hours after each of these killings, senior federal officials made pronouncements blaming the victims before any investigation, and, more alarmingly, declared that a thorough investigation was not warranted.
Our democracy depends on the rule of law and the trust of its citizens. Transparency in our system of justice is paramount. Our country belongs to all of us, and we must not be silent. Now is the time to speak up and stand up for the values underlying our democracy, our Constitution, and our way of life.”
“After watching the videos of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, it’s hard not to rush to judgment. Most of us believe that they show that the federal agents involved were entirely unjustified in their actions. But we acknowledge that even those officers deserve an honest and thorough investigation and due process of law. That’s how our system determines criminal accountability.
That said, there must be political accountability for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and for President Donald Trump. Their language and actions led to these horrendous killings, and their lies about the victims of these killings revealed them as the callous monsters they are. Justice for the agents must come through the courts, but justice for the Trump regime must come through impeachment and at the ballot box.”
“The administration’s actions in Minnesota are a complete betrayal of America’s founding values. Occupation and violence against local communities by a distant centralized government led this country to declare its independence 250 years ago this July. Patriots like Renee Good and Alex Pretti will go down in the history books as our generation’s Crispus Attucks.”
“What is happening in Minnesota, and what we have seen in other American cities, is not aggressive law enforcement; it is a sustained campaign of lawlessness by agents of the federal government. Administration enforcement priorities and federal leadership are driving actions that violate constitutional limits and established legal constraints.
These continued actions are tantamount to the functional suspension of constitutional protections. No emergency declaration authorizes this and no statute permits it.
If lawyers do not defend the Constitution when doing so is difficult, costly, or inconvenient, then our profession has abandoned its purpose. Silence now is complicity. History will treat that silence with the condemnation it deserves.”
“The Alliance for American Rule of Law (AAROL) is deeply concerned by the recent extra-judicial killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by U.S. law enforcement officers. The unjustifiable use of lethal force, the public statements by federal officials demeaning the victims, and efforts to obstruct full investigations are not worthy of a 250-year old democracy committed to the rule of law. We offer our condolences to the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and call for complete, thorough, and transparent investigations of their killings, in accordance with the requirements of the law and the best of American rule of law traditions.”
“So much has been said over the past year about this country’s descent into authoritarianism at the hands of a callous and brutal President whose only requirement for enacting U.S. policy seems to be whether it will enrich himself, his family, and his friends. Much has been said, too, over the past several weeks about the inevitable and tragic consequences of such an authoritarian government – the outright murder of two U.S. citizens by agents of their own government. I think it best at this point to let the words of law enforcement personnel and stalwarts of the right speak to this moment in history. Lawyer John Mitnick, who served as deputy counsel of the Homeland Security Council under President George W. Bush: “I helped to establish DHS in 2002 and 2003 and later had the homeland security portfolio as a White House Counsel and served as General Counsel of the Department. I am enraged and embarrassed by DHS’s lawlessness, fascism, and cruelty. Impeach and remove Trump—now.” Chief Brian O’Hara of the Minneapolis Police Department said on Face the Nation, “People have had enough. This is the third shooting now in less than three weeks. The Minneapolis Police Department went the entire year last year recovering about 900 guns from the street, arresting hundreds and hundreds of violent offenders, and we didn’t shoot anyone, and now this is the second American citizen that’s been killed, it’s the third shooting within three weeks.” The editorial board of Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal warned that “[t]he Trump Administration spin on this simply isn’t believable. … Ms. Noem and Mr. Miller aren’t credible spokesmen. Americans don’t want law enforcement shooting people in the street or arresting five-year-old boys.”
“The killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, while they peacefully protested, stand in direct opposition to the values our country was built upon. When the government uses lethal force against civilians, and conceals records of its conduct, it ceases to function as a lawful authority. That is not the rule of law—it is the abuse of power. Anyone committed to constitutional principles must insist on full disclosure, an independent inquiry, and meaningful accountability for these killings.”
“The Bill of Rights is not a suggestion; it is the bedrock of our Republic. As defense counsel, we serve as the sentinels of the Sixth Amendment, ensuring that the shield of due process remains strong. When federal agents target individuals based on perceived resistance rather than objective evidence of wrongdoing, the Rule of Law suffers.
We are calling for a fundamental recalibration of ICE recruitment and conduct. Currently, the actions of these agents—such as firing at moving vehicles or gunning down individuals recording their activities—fall far short of the constitutional standards expected of any entity granted the power of the state. We must move away from the peril of profiling and toward a framework that prizes constitutional rights, respect for the dignity of every individual, and de-escalation over bullying and deadly dominance.”
“Constitutional rights and the safety of the public are inextricably linked. The federal government currently operates an enforcement apparatus that frequently escalates encounters through automatic, biased, and unreasonable use of force.
We must be clear: ICE operates as an administrative enforcement body, not a traditional law enforcement agency. By adopting the tactics of high-intensity policing without the constitutional guardrails or public accountability inherent in traditional public safety roles, they have created a crisis of legitimacy. When administrative agents overstep their bounds to exercise deadly force, they threaten the very due process they are sworn to uphold.
True accountability requires a complete overhaul of how these agents are selected and monitored. We implore the White House to insist on a culture of constitutional restraint—one where ‘reasonable suspicion’ is a rigorous, objective requirement, and where de-escalation is the primary mandate rather than the use of pepper spray, tasers, or firearms. The value of human life, association, speech, and the right to live freely must be reflected in every federal interaction. Our goal is a system where the rights of every person in America are respected, and where those carrying out federal mandates are strictly bound by the ethical and legal standards required to honor those rights.”
“U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed by U.S. federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers under the purview of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. We have borne witness to blatant and autocratic abuses of power and affronts to the rule of law as these acts were openly committed on American streets. We do not forget that several others have also died while in ICE custody. For any semblance of justice to be done, the Denver Bar Association demands unhindered investigations that stop not with the federal officers who committed these atrocities, but with the department heads that sanctioned such actions. Without complete transparency and meaningful investigation, we may continue to experience the evaporation of our constitutional rights and the degradation of the rule of law in the times to come.”
“Santa Clara County Bar Association stands with attorneys and bar associations throughout California and across the nation in decrying the usurpation of the United States Constitution and the Rule of Law upon which this nation was founded. Nine people have been killed by ICE in recent weeks and too many have been callously and wantonly injured or maimed. As lawyers, we are appalled. As citizens of this once great nation, we grieve. This is not who we are as a Republic.”
“Alex Pretti and Nicole Good were killed by federal agents from Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sadly, they were not the only two. Since the start of 2026, at least nine people have died ICE-related deaths.
The lawlessness from those sworn to uphold the law must end. No law enforcement agent is above the law. We must now more than ever stand together in solidarity and in support of the rule of law and its application to each and every person who steps foot on our soil”
The Nation of Laws Coalition is a non-partisan alliance of legal organizations and advocates dedicated to upholding the rule of law, judicial independence, and the independence of the legal profession.