Minnesota CEOs call for deescalation

Major Minnesota business leaders on Sunday called for an “immediate deescalation of tensions” after federal immigration agents fatally shot U.S. citizen Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

More than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies signed a letter urging “state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.”  The companies said that the recent tumult in Minnesota has caused “widespread disruption and tragic loss of life.”

Among the signatories to the letter are incoming Target CEO Michael Fiddelke; William Brown, the chairman and CEO of 3M; Brian Sikes, the chair and CEO of food giant Cargill; and Stephen Hemsley, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group.

“In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future,” the letter reads. 

The letter comes one day after federal officers shot and killed Pretti, a 37-year old ICU nurse in Minneapolis.

The Trump administration has surged federal law enforcement to the city to enforce its immigration crackdown and pursue allegations of widespread welfare fraud in the state. 

Pretti’s killing is the latest incident in a tense standoff between Minnesota authorities and federal immigration officials that has prompted unrest in the region. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen, earlier this month. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, has repeatedly called on the Trump administration to withdraw federal law enforcement from the state. The Trump administration has resisted those calls and blamed the state’s leadership for not assisting its efforts.

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