As protests ripple across Minneapolis and beyond, the killings tied to aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations are drawing condemnation from some of the country’s most prominent voices — including Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.

In a rare and forceful joint statement shared on social media, the former first couple warned that the federal government’s approach to immigration enforcement is pushing the country toward a dangerous breaking point. Citing the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, the Obamas said what’s happening in Minnesota should alarm Americans across political lines.

“The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy,” they wrote, adding that it reflects a broader erosion of the nation’s core values.

Pretti, 37, worked as a nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital and was shot during an ICE operation in a snowy neighborhood early Saturday morning. Video captured by witnesses shows Pretti recording federal agents on his phone as they pushed a woman during the deployment. When he intervened, agents shoved him, sprayed him with a chemical agent, tackled him, and ultimately shot him multiple times.

The incident ignited immediate outrage — not only because of Pretti’s death, but because it followed another fatal ICE-related shooting in the city just weeks earlier. In that case, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, an unarmed mother, was killed in her vehicle during an encounter with an immigration agent. Officials claimed she posed a threat, though video appears to contradict that account.

By Sunday, demonstrations had spread nationwide as people reacted to cellphone footage of Pretti’s killing and to statements from Trump administration officials that appeared to place blame on Pretti himself, citing the fact that he was legally carrying a firearm. Minneapolis police later confirmed that Pretti had a valid concealed-carry permit — prompting backlash from gun rights advocates, who called for an independent investigation and criticized federal officials for what they described as reckless rhetoric.

Even local law enforcement leaders have sounded the alarm. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told CBS News that the situation unfolding in the city is “not sustainable,” saying his department is overwhelmed by the scale and intensity of federal activity.

The Obamas echoed that concern, writing that while federal agents have difficult jobs, Americans expect them to act lawfully and in coordination with local officials — not in ways that escalate fear and chaos. “That’s not what we’re seeing in Minnesota,” they said. “In fact, we’re seeing the opposite.”

They also took aim at the administration’s public responses to the shootings, arguing that officials appear more focused on escalation than accountability — and that their explanations are often contradicted by video evidence circulating online.

Pretti’s parents described him as compassionate and deeply committed to his patients, particularly the veterans he cared for in the ICU. At makeshift memorials near the site of his death, mourners have left flowers, signs, and handwritten notes — many calling for an end to what they see as unchecked federal force in their community.

In closing, the Obamas urged administration officials to rethink their strategy and work with Minnesota leaders to prevent further loss of life. They also pointed to the growing protests as a necessary act of civic responsibility.

“Ultimately,” they wrote, “it’s up to each of us to speak out against injustice, protect our freedoms, and hold our government accountable.”