Trump administration faces backlash after federal agents kill Minneapolis nurse

MINNEAPOLIS — Federal immigration agents shot and killed an intensive care nurse in Minneapolis, igniting a wave of outrage and protests across the United States.

The Minneapolis mayor announced that the city will begin reducing the number of federal agents starting Tuesday. The move comes as President Donald Trump and his administration appear to soften their rhetoric regarding the incident, though aggressive enforcement tactics show no signs of ending.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is calling for the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after she labeled the nurse, Alex Pretti, a "domestic terrorist." The union also demanded the dismissal of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a key architect of the administration's policies.

In a separate development, President Trump announced he is raising tariffs on South Korean goods from 15% to 25%. The hike targets automobiles and pharmaceuticals, with the president citing Seoul’s failure to comply with trade agreements.

International tensions are also escalating following reports that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has deployed assets to the region near Iran.

The fatal shooting in Minneapolis is less an isolated tragedy than the predictable result of the hardline immigration policies and expanded federal executive overreach that have defined the Trump administration since its 2025 return to power. The deployment of militarized federal agents into urban centers, coupled with a deliberate rollback of oversight mechanisms and opposition to body-camera mandates, reflects a calculated strategy to impose federal authority on dissenting states and municipal jurisdictions.

This escalation is exposing profound fractures not only between the two parties but within the Republican establishment itself. Senator Ted Cruz’s warning of an electoral "bloodbath" in the upcoming midterms—predicated on the inflationary impact of the President’s aggressive tariff regime—serves as a stark indicator of internal volatility. The President’s vitriolic reaction to Cruz highlights a zero-tolerance stance toward dissent, even from high-profile allies, signaling a period of instability in both economic planning and domestic security strategy.

The mounting pressure to oust Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and senior advisor Stephen Miller represents a direct assault on the architects of this agenda. While the administration’s recent move to reduce federal personnel in certain cities appears to be a tactical retreat to mollify public outcry, the core tenets of its polarizing domestic policy remain unchanged. For the White House, the challenge will be whether these minor concessions can stave off the gathering political storm.

The situation in Minneapolis sets a troubling precedent for immigrant communities across the country, including Vietnamese Americans. Representative Ro Khanna’s account of widespread fear—even among those with secure legal status, such as H-1B or F2B holders—is a reality that many in our community feel acutely. The threat of racial profiling and the risk of being swept up in immigration enforcement creates a chilling effect, making people hesitant to go to work or engage in public life. For the nail salons and phở restaurants that form the economic backbone of our Little Saigons, this decline in social activity results in a direct and significant blow to our community's livelihood.