I HAVE EXTENDED FAMILY and friends living in south Minneapolis where ICE agents shot and killed two American citizens on the streets recently. First Renee Good and now Alex Pretti, both 37 years old.
My family has kept me updated on their participation in protests, their ICE sightings, their visits to memorials. I appreciate their first-person observations. And their activism.
All images in this blog post were taken by my cousin Jill Bode at the memorial for Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. Veterans from all over Minnesota seek care at the VA. That includes my next door neighbor and my dad many years ago.
As hard as this whole situation is on me because I’m a Minnesotan and ICE is also in my community, it’s certainly much harder on my loved ones living in the epicenter of this massive, out-of-control enforcement effort by agents of the federal government. Jill and her husband, Mark, live about a mile from the place where Alex was shot and killed on Saturday morning. The granddaughter of a dear friend of mine was a neighbor to Alex and she’s taking it hard. We all are. My heart goes out to family and friends of Alex and Renee.
President Donald Trump promised “a day of reckoning and retribution” in Minnesota. I’m sharing that quote to remind everyone of his politically-motivated, threatening words, not to give him more voice.
He underestimated Minnesotans—how tough and strong and determined we are, how we care for one another and also know right from wrong. We have a moral compass.
To everyone across the country and world who has Minnesota’s back, who is supporting us via words and actions, thank you. I am grateful.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Photos copyrighted by Jill Bode & used with permission
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
A heartfelt, lovely tribute. Thanks for sharing. My heart, though, is heavy with all these tragic happenings which could have been prevented.
I hear you, Sue. We are all feeling the weight of these senseless deaths.
❤ thank you for posting this Audrey. i read the messages and signs and they are heartfelt and heartbreaking. we are all still with you.
tonight was our vigil here in Ann Arbor. after it was over, a woman standing next to me with a strong accent, turned to me, with tears in her eyes, and said, 'thank you all for being here for us.'
Thank you, Ann Arbor, Michigan, for your vigil, your protests, your refusal to remain silent. We in Minnesota are grateful. I appreciate your sharing about the woman who turned to you in tears and thanked you. I experienced the same gratitude while protesting in Minnesota. This is part of the reason we do this. Our neighbors need to hear our voices and understand that we support and care about them.
We all have our heroes. If you arm up to go play “legal observer” and you get in their (ICE) way and one is armed and one is armed with a car, failed to get out of the car, and car is blocking traffic, as sad as the consequences are, I feel sorry for both ICE agents, not some armed nurse, or mother who drives at the agent, Her wife stated the obvious in a question form: “They had real bullets?). AT this point Audrey, we are going to have to agree to disagree. Just because you are “defending” neighbors, does not give you a free pass to ignore federal peace officers, traffic laws, and in short, being a general pain in the a%% to these officers.
Gunny, it is really difficult to respect armed masked badge-less agents who show no respect for human life, for humanity and who use aggressive, violent and unlawful tactics. They do not respect rights afforded to all of us under the Constitution. They violently pull people from vehicles. They ram vehicles. They bust through doors, hold people at gunpoint, all without proper warrants. This is no longer about finding, detaining and deporting the “worst of the worst.” It’s about power, control and politics. These federal agents take and detain children and fly them to Texas. They act aggressively toward peaceful protesters and legal observers. They arrest and detain people who are legally here and also American citizens. They have racially-profiled people to justify their work. That includes multiple off-duty Minnesota law enforcement officers of color who have been stopped/questioned by ICE. Yes, law enforcement. I could go on. But I’ll stop at that.
Are you aware that gun rights advocates, including in Minnesota, have issued public statements supporting Alex Pretti’s rights to carry a gun? He had a legal conceal and carry permit. That’s pretty profound. Here’s a link to a story, should you be interested in reading it: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/27/minnesota-killing-produces-backlash-against-trump-from-second-amendment-advocates
Yes, we will have to choose to disagree.
As of this morning, it looks as though our Dear Leader is finally becoming concerned about the “optics” of the murder and mayhem and lies he’s unleashed on Minnesota. Not about the actual damage he’s done to people’s lives – just about how it makes him look bad. The Nazi wannabe has been sent back to El Centro, a less fanatical apparatchik is replacing him, and Walz and Frey have been told that some of ICE will be leaving. It seems Minneapolis has held it’s ground. This is a good start. But, with 3 more years to go, it’s far too early to stop worrying.
I agree with everything you state in your comment. Thank you for sharing your thoughts here.