FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2026
Baltimore, MD — The following is a statement from Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge, on the unjustified killing of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti: an ICU nurse known for his service to veterans who was fatally shot by federal immigration agents during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
“This senseless killing of Alex Pretti, an American citizen, a dedicated ICU nurse, and a caregiver to those who served our country, is a shocking tragedy that never should have happened. Alex was beloved by his family, friends, and community for his compassion and his commitment to helping others. As a faith-based organization and as human beings, Global Refuge is both outraged and heartbroken by his death, and we are holding his loved ones in prayer in their moment of profound grief.”
“Alex's death is another unbearable loss in what has become a near-constant stream of violence, pain, and cruelty under the auspices of federal immigration enforcement. The headlines tell only part of the story. Across the country, an unprecedented number of immigrants are dying in detention; citizens and non-citizens alike are being shoved to the ground, tear-gassed, and shot; and hundreds of children are being detained for months at a time. These acts of violence – against Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and many others – are not isolated incidents, but rather the predictable result of policies that have abandoned restraint, constitutionality, and respect for human life.”
“Across the United States, immigrant and refugee families whom Global Refuge serves are living in constant fear: not just of detention and deportation, but of escalating brutality and arbitrary violence. That fear has been sharpened by Operation PARRIS, in which lawfully-admitted refugee families who fled persecution and passed the most rigorous, stringent vetting processes have been detained, transported far from home, and now face the unthinkable prospect of forced return to the danger they so painstakingly escaped.”
“And to what end? At Global Refuge, we know how critical refugees and other immigrants are to our communities. The very same people who strengthen our workforce, contribute to our economy, pray alongside us at local houses of worship, and extend kindness to their neighbors are the people most impacted by this state-sponsored violence. It has become painfully clear that sweeping federal operations like those in Minnesota and beyond aren't making anyone safer – and instead, have put entire communities at greater risk.”
“This is a moment of moral reckoning for our country. A government that cannot enforce the law without killing its own citizens, terrorizing lawfully-present families, detaining children, and abandoning constitutional limits has lost sight of its most basic obligations. This crisis demands more than condolences; it demands a fundamental reorientation toward dignity, accountability, and the sanctity of human life.”
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About Global Refuge:
Global Refuge, formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, is the largest faith-based nonprofit dedicated exclusively to serving refugee children and families. For 85 years, we have welcomed those seeking refuge, upholding a legacy of compassion and grace for people in crisis. We walk alongside individuals, families, and children as they begin their new lives in the United States through our work in refugee resettlement, economic empowerment and employment, and family unification for unaccompanied children. Since our founding in 1939, we have served over 800,000 people from around the globe.
