The already volatile debate over immigration enforcement in Minnesota took another sharp turn this weekend after Hope Walz, the daughter of Democratic Governor Tim Walz, publicly attacked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a TikTok video that quickly drew national attention. Her comments, fueled by anger over the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, went far beyond criticism of tactics and crossed into outright condemnation of the agency itself.
In the video, Hope Walz described feeling “profound sadness” and “a lot of anger” over the incident, which involved Border Patrol agents during a targeted federal operation in Minneapolis.
She accused ICE of having “brutally beat and murdered” Pretti, escalating her language by saying he was “executed” in broad daylight and alleging that federal authorities then lied about what happened. She repeatedly urged viewers to contact their senators and demand that ICE no longer receive federal funding.
Her most inflammatory remark came when she labeled the agency a “horrible Gestapo,” declaring it “cannot be funded” and calling its actions “deplorable.” The rhetoric immediately raised eyebrows, not just for its historical comparison, but for how directly it aligned with long-standing activist calls to defund or dismantle immigration enforcement entirely.
Federal officials, however, dispute the version of events described in the video. According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted operation aimed at an illegal alien wanted for a violent assault when Pretti allegedly approached officers armed with a 9mm handgun. DHS says agents attempted to disarm him and that he “violently resisted,” prompting an agent to fire in self-defense.
TUNE IN: Tim Walz’s daughter goes off at ICE.
“This horrible Gestapo… cannot be funded!”
“It is deplorable at this point… I don’t even have words for it!”
“I wish Donald Trump and this entire administration would leave my state the f*ck alone!”pic.twitter.com/4YxrFwuBMb
— Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) January 26, 2026
That account has been challenged by eyewitness video circulating online. NBC News reported that footage taken from multiple angles appears to contradict portions of DHS’s narrative, raising new questions about how the encounter unfolded. DHS has acknowledged the controversy and confirmed that investigators are reviewing body-camera footage from the agents involved.
The shooting of Pretti follows another fatal incident earlier this month, when Renee Good was killed by an ICE agent after authorities claimed she “weaponized” her vehicle against officers. Together, the two deaths have intensified scrutiny of federal immigration operations in Minnesota and fueled protests, lawsuits, and increasingly heated political rhetoric.
What makes Hope Walz’s comments particularly notable is not just their tone, but their proximity to power. As the governor’s daughter, her words carry symbolic weight, even if she holds no official role. At a moment when emotions are raw and facts remain under investigation, her remarks underscore how quickly tragedy is being folded into the broader ideological fight over ICE, enforcement authority, and the limits of protest and resistance.
