Protestors marched in downtown Traverse City on Sunday after the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who was killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis the day prior.
Passing cars honked to the beat of protestors chanting “ICE out” as nearly 2,000 people marched up and down Front Street.
State Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) was at the rally handing out signs.
“I really caution [against] making this Dem versus Republican — it's not," said Coffia. "It’s about Americans saying, 'We don't want our constitutional rights violated and we don't want American citizens being shot in the street by masked men.'"
In a letter addressed to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote that the state had “refused to enforce the law, and [that] the consequences are heartbreaking." In the same letter, Bondi claimed violence against ICE agents had surged by over 1,000%, citing data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. NPR reporting from October 2025 disputes that claim.
Grand Traverse County Republican Party chair Katie Kniss said any loss of life is tragic but also encouraged people to slow down and allow law enforcement time to investigate before making judgments.
"Regardless [of] if you are on the left or on the right, it's the rhetoric that is making this as escalated and significant as it is," said Kniss. "The rhetoric has to be toned down, but we need to have politicians that are willing to do that."
Earlier this month, federal agents also fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good in a separate incident that sparked its own protests and intensified a nationwide debate over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and federal use of force.
