Statement on the Killing of Alex Pretti & Renee Good

For Immediate Release

1/26/2026

Sioux Falls, SD — We are deeply saddened by the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. These were senseless and avoidable losses of life that have shaken our neighbors in Minnesota and demands serious reflection and accountability.

What we are witnessing goes far beyond the stated mission of immigration enforcement. ICE operations have moved beyond simply rounding up and deporting undocumented individuals with criminal records. We now see masked federal agents operating on our streets, detaining, harassing, and in this case killing people, including our own citizens.

This moment forces us to ask difficult but necessary questions. Are masked law enforcement officers taking aggressive action against people who are observing, questioning, or exercising their First Amendment rights the image we want to present to the world? Is fear, confusion, and deadly force the standard we are willing to accept in our communities?

The answer is no. We are better than this, and it is not who we are.

Leaders in Minnesota, from both sides of the aisle, are actively working to deescalate tensions in Minneapolis and to protect public safety while upholding constitutional rights. Those efforts deserve support, not interference.

Now is the time for President Trump, Stephen Miller, and Kristi Noem to dial back the rhetoric and misinformation that have inflamed this situation. Federal leaders must work with state and local officials in Minnesota to restore calm, ensure transparency, and keep people safe.

The South Dakota Democratic Party believes when federal agents operate in our communities, they must be held to the highest standards of transparency and accountability. The repeated loss of civilian lives under federal immigration operations demands full, independent investigations and reform.

We mourn the loss of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. We stand with their families and loved ones. Their deaths should never have happened. We owe it to them, and to all our communities, to demand accountability, restraint, and a recommitment to the values of democracy, dignity, and human life.

For questions, please contact Dan Ahlers, Executive Director of the SD Democratic Party at dan@sddp.org or 605-940-3071.

Paid for by the South Dakota Democratic Party | www.sddp.org