Celebrities who have spoken out after 37‑year‑old nurse Alex Pretti is shot dead by immigration agents
A horde of huge-name stars have rallied together to protest the fatal shooting of Minnesota man Alex Pretti by a US Border Patrol officer.
The 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse had appeared at a demonstration in Minneapolis on Saturday (24 January), in response to an immigration crackdown instructed by President Donald Trump.
There, officials said he was shot and killed by an eight-year Border Patrol veteran - just over a mile from where an ICE officer fatally shot mother-of-three Renee Good, also 37, while she was sitting behind the wheel of her car.
In the wake of the tragedy, Pretti's father - who was forced to identify him - shared an emotional statement with press, which read: "He cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States with ICE, as millions of other people are upset.
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"He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests."
How did the Trump administration respond to the shooting?
Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, responded to the latest incident by alleging that Pretti had come 'weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers'.
She added: "This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement."
Noem's controversial claims were later supported by Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, who insisted that federal officers were conducting an operation and fired 'defensive shots' after a man with a handgun approached them.
She claimed Pretti 'violently resisted' when they tried to disarm him.
Trump also told the Wall Street Journal that his team are 'reviewing everything' they know about the killing, and 'will come out with a determination'.
Despite several videos suggesting otherwise, Trump asserted that Pretti was carrying 'a very dangerous gun'.
Responding to the department's claims, Tim Walz, Minnesota's governor, vowed that his state's 'justice system will have the last word on this', filing a lawsuit against it, and citing a witness statement which alleges they did not see the victim 'attack the agents or brandish a weapon of any kind'.
Pretti's family also responded to the allegations against him in a follow-up statement, hitting out: "The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting."
They also addressed a video which Trump's team claimed shows Pretti reaching into his pocket for a weapon, claiming it was simply a phone.
"Please get the truth out about our son," the family continued. "He was a good man."
Which celebs have since spoken out?
Olivia Rodrigo
The 'Driving Licence' singer took to Instagram in light of the gut-wrenching killing, slamming a 'murderous federal agency', which she claimed was 'terrorising an American city'.
Rodrigo, 22, continued: "ICEs actions are unconscionable but we are not powerless. Our actions matter. I stand with Minnesota."
Jamie Lee Curtis
Much-loved actress Curtis, 67, also paid tribute to Pretti and Good online this week, writing in a fiery statement: "THESE WERE AMERICANS! SHOT BY OUR GOVERNMENT!"
The Halloween star also shared a video of the latest incident, along with the caption: "There's too much going on that needs to be amplified right now for me to be quiet."
Mark Ruffalo
Weeks after wearing a pin on the label of his Golden Globes 2026 suit in honour of Good, the Avengers actor also shared a video of Pretti's shooting on the social media site Bluesky.
Ruffalo, 58, described the moment as showing 'cold blooded murder in the streets of the USA by an occupying military gang, creating havoc'.
He added: "We have fought wars in other countries for less than this."
Amanda Seyfried
The Mamma Mia actress shared a powerful seven-word statement on her Instagram Story, asking: "WHERE THE F**K IS OUR SUPREME COURT?"
Pedro Pascal
The Last of Us actor Pascal shared a series of posts on social media following this weekend's tragedy, all of which criticised ICE's mission - specifically the agents supposedly assigned to invoke order in Minneapolis.
He also shared a post delivered by New York City's newly-elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who said the body 'terrorises our cities' and needed abolishing.
Ariana Grande
The Wicked actress, 32, also reposted a tweet shared by Mamdani, who'd written the same statement.
It read: "As tens of thousands across America protest the violence that ICE sows with impunity, federal agents shot and killed another personal in Minneapolis today.
"ICE terrorises our cities. ICE puts us all in danger. Abolish ICE."
Natalie Portman, Olivia Wilde and Zoey Deutch
The trio of actresses appeared at the Sundance Film Festival, all wearing political pins, on Saturday.
Reflecting on the prior incident on the red carpet, 44-year-old Portman - wearing an 'ICE OUT' pin - told Variety: "We're at a moment in our country's history that is quite devastating, and I think it's really impossible not to talk about what is happening right now and the brutality of ICE and how it has to stop immediately."
Wilde, 41, wearing the same pin, agreed, adding: "I'm appalled and sickened. We can't go another day just sort of accepting this as our new norm. It's outrageous. People are being murdered. And I don't want to normalise seeing people being murdered on the internet, on film. It's hideous."
Deutch, 31, who'd worn the same pin as Wilde and Portman, went on to say: "It's impossible to not be thinking about the state of our country and what's going on and the brutality of ICE.
"I think for me personally, I feel so proud to be American - seeing the way communities and people are coming together during this time, and I feel so ashamed at the same time - to see how our government is handling things.
"But I just want to stand with the amazing people of Minnesota."
Edward Norton and Will Poulter
The legendary movie star Norton and fellow actor Poulter appeared on the same red carpet as Portman, Wilde and Deutch.
Norton, 56, told press: "These days it’s, 'What are we gonna do about mass Gestapo shooting American citizens?'. We are sitting here talking about movies while an illegal army is being mounted against US citizens."
British star Poulter, 32, meanwhile, added how 'upsetting' he found it to see American citizens 'forget that we're a country that we have immigrants to thank for - I feel the same way about my my home country in the UK'.
Janelle Monáe and Megan Stalter
Both singer Monáe and comedian Stalter took to Instagram to urge their followers to file complaints with their political representatives and plead with them to defund ICE.
The latter wrote: "Keep talking, sharing, praying. I put all my trust in God and what is going on is pure evil."
Lin-Manuel Miranda
The theatre star and Hamilton creator shared a post originally uploaded by the National Immigration Law Center, which read: "ICE GET OUT."
Chrissy Teigen
The presenter took to Instagram to share a tweet originally uploaded by rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which read: "Americans are being killed in the street by their government.
"Our Constitution is being shredded and our rights are dissolving. Resist.
"Senate Dems should block ICE funding this week. Activate the National Guard. We can and must stop this."
Teigen, 40, also posted another of Ocasio-Cortez's political statements, which went on to say: "We have a responsibility to protect Americans from tyranny. DHS just shot a man in broad daylight two weeks after they shot a mother in the face without consequence.
"They need our votes to continue. We cannot give it to them. Every Senator should vote NO."
Florence Pugh
Taking to Instagram, the English actress dubbed Pretti a 'hero' - 'a man that did heroic acts everyday'.
The 30-year-old continued: "Not a terrorist. An ICU nurse."
Pugh also shared a video of the incident, claiming: "It's a murder. He was murdered. He was protecting a woman who was thrown on the floor."
Lisa Rinna
The reality TV star reposted a statement on social media in light of Pretti's killing, which hit out: "ICE does not belong in our communities."
Rinna, 62, also added the message: "Because they're coming for us next this is just the beginning."
Walton Goggins
The White Lotus actor also shared a powerful statement online, slamming Pretti's death as 'wrong'.
"Alex Pretti was murdered. Renee Good was MURDERED," 54-year-old Goggins continued. "This isn't about what political party any of us are affiliated with. This is about Humanity... THIS IS F*****G WRONG."
Cynthia Nixon
Sex and the City actress Nixon slammed Noem for her response to Pretti's death in a new Instagram video, in which she also read the statement shared by the victim's family.
She hit out at the 'spreading' of 'disgusting lies about the cold blooded execution of the young man Alex Pretti who was gunned down in the streets of Minneapolis'.
Barbie Ferreira
The Euphoria star took to Instagram where she reposted a statement from The Slow Factory, which read: "ICE ARE DOMESTIC TERRORISTS."
Ferreira, 29, added: "It's F**K ICE every single f**king day."
Kristen Schaal
Having been celebrating her 48th birthday on the day that Pretti was killed, the comedian and actress wrote on X: "Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I will remember this birthday as the day that Alex Pretti was held down on the street by 6 ICE agents and murdered.
"Shot to death. After he was sprayed in the face. I will remember @realDonaldTrump & everyone who works for & worships him saying this didn't happen."
Topics: Celebrity, US News, Donald Trump, Politics, Crime, News, World News
Rhianna Benson