Registered nurse Silvia Lu was working the day shift at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland when she read about the shooting death of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, who was protesting the ICE immigration crackdown on the streets of Minneapolis.
On a day shift in the emergency department Saturday, where Lu often cares for children recovering from heart surgeries and car crashes, she struggled to hold back her emotions.
“I held my tears back the whole day,” she said.
She carried that pent-up grief outside the hospital Monday evening, where she joined about 200 others, mostly nurses, in a candlelight vigil to remember the 37-year-old Minnesota nurse whose death has become the latest flashpoint in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge.
Just weeks earlier, videos circulating online showed an ICE officer shooting and killing Renee Good, another Minnesota protester and mother of three, as she attempted to drive away during a separate enforcement operation, according to media reports.
“I just felt I needed to do something. I needed to stand up for this and to just make myself present to the horrendous things that are going on in this country,” said Mary Dhont, a nurse in the hospital’s outpatient infusion clinic who joined the vigil organized by the California Nurses Association. “This is just the latest in a string. But it was horrible. The fact that he was a nurse just brought it closer to home.”
The nurses’ vigil came after a weekend of scattered protests in San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland over Pretti’s death.
So far, the Bay Area has been spared the kind of sweeping federal operation underway in Minneapolis. There, videos and news reports have shown ICE agents pulling people from their vehicles and detaining children during enforcement actions. Separate bystander videos captured the shootings of both Pretti and Good.
In October, after President Donald Trump sent 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, he threatened to deploy them to San Francisco as well to clean up the city’s “mess.” But the president backed off after appeals from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and tech executives, including Marc Benioff, the Salesforce CEO whose family name is attached to the Oakland children’s hospital.
Benioff initially suggested Trump deploy the troops during his Dreamforce convention but later reversed course and apologized.
On Monday, in a petition circulating online, a group of tech workers urged Silicon Valley executives to flex their political muscle again and “cancel all company contracts with ICE.”
“This cannot continue, and we know the tech industry can make a difference,” they wrote. “Today, we’re calling on our CEOs to pick up the phone again.”
At the vigil, many attendees expressed concern that the Bay Area — home to nearly 500,000 undocumented immigrants, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates — could be the next target of intensified enforcement.
Nurses said they were especially worried about the families of their young patients.
“We take care of a lot of families, immigrant families, patients that may not have the ability to afford care otherwise,” said nurse Michelle Trautman. “And I’m concerned that they’re going to try and take advantage of that vulnerability to grab some of our patients and send them away when they obviously need care.”
In the hours after Pretti’s death, Trump administration officials said the shooting was justified, arguing that because Pretti carried a legally registered handgun in his waistband, he posed a threat to officers and intended a “massacre.” Trump adviser Stephen Miller called Pretti an “assassin.”
Those characterizations outraged his family and Democratic politicians, who pointed to bystander videos showing Pretti helping a woman who had been pushed by an ICE agent and holding only his camera.
He was pinned to the ground by multiple ICE agents, the videos show, and his gun had already been pulled from his waistband by an agent when he was shot several times.
The Bay Area’s Democratic congressional delegation has responded by voting against a Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that would provide additional funding for ICE.
“I cannot and will not continue to fund lawlessness or federal agencies that terrorize families in their own neighborhoods and criminalize people for seeking opportunity and refuge,” U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Oakland, said in a statement. “What we’re witnessing is cruel, immoral, and completely at odds with the promise of the American dream.”
U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, San Jose’s former mayor, also voted against further funding.
“ICE has abandoned its mission of removing violent criminals in favor of detaining children, shooting Americans, and terrorizing our communities,” he said in a statement.
At the busy intersection of 52nd Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way on Monday evening, streams of cars honked and waved as they passed nurses and other supporters holding signs reading “Melt ICE” and “Justice for Alex Pretti.”
Aaron Cortez, 28, of Alameda, said fear drove him to attend the vigil.
His family has lived in California for generations, with relatives who served in the U.S. military, but he still worries about a potential ICE raid.
“They just see me by the color of my skin, and that worries me,” said Cortez, who cares for ailing relatives at home. “And so I decided to come out because I had to, I needed to show that we’re all here together, that no matter what happens, we will all protect each other.”
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Former San Francisco city attorney Nancy Tavernit, right, attends a protest at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Healthcare professionals and others are demanding justice and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) in the wake of the killing of Veteran’s Administration nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
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Former San Francisco city attorney Nancy Tavernit, right, attends a protest at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. Healthcare professionals and others are demanding justice and the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) in the wake of the killing of Veteran’s Administration nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
What legal steps are being taken to investigate the ICU nurse shooting in Minneapolis by ICE?
Table of Contents
- 1. What legal steps are being taken to investigate the ICU nurse shooting in Minneapolis by ICE?
- 2. Oakland Vigil: Healthcare Workers Demand Justice for Minneapolis ICU Nurse Shot by ICE
- 3. The Incident: A Life Cut Short
- 4. oakland’s Response: A Vigil for Justice
- 5. ICE Operations and Community impact
- 6. The Role of Healthcare Workers in Advocacy
- 7. Legal and Investigative Updates
Oakland Vigil: Healthcare Workers Demand Justice for Minneapolis ICU Nurse Shot by ICE
The fatal shooting of a Minneapolis ICU nurse by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sparked outrage and protests nationwide, including a powerful vigil held in Oakland, California. Healthcare professionals, advocates for immigrant rights, and community members gathered to mourn the loss and demand accountability.This article delves into the details of the incident, the Oakland vigil, and the broader context of ICE operations and their impact on vulnerable communities.
The Incident: A Life Cut Short
Details surrounding the shooting remain under inquiry, but reports indicate the nurse, identified as [Name Redacted – pending official release and respecting privacy], was shot by an ICE agent during a targeted enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 24th, 2026. The nurse,a dedicated critical care professional,was reportedly at home when the incident occurred. ICE has stated the shooting happened during an encounter with a person believed to be a fugitive with outstanding warrants.However, community activists and legal observers question the necessity and proportionality of the force used.
The shooting immediately ignited protests, with many questioning ICE’s tactics and the potential for escalation during routine enforcement actions. Concerns have been raised about the lack of transparency surrounding ICE operations and the potential for misidentification and wrongful targeting.
oakland’s Response: A Vigil for Justice
On January 26th, 2026, hundreds converged in Oakland’s [Location of Vigil – e.g., Frank ogawa Plaza] for a candlelight vigil honoring the slain nurse. The event was organized by a coalition of healthcare worker unions, immigrant rights groups like [Local Oakland Advocacy Group – e.g.,Causa Justa::Just Cause],and community organizations.
The vigil featured:
* Speeches from healthcare workers: Nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals shared their grief and spoke about the vital role immigrants play in the healthcare system. Many highlighted the irony of a healthcare worker being killed by an agency frequently enough associated with denying healthcare access to vulnerable populations.
* Testimonials from community members: Individuals shared personal stories about the fear and anxiety experienced by immigrant families in the face of increased ICE enforcement.
* chants and songs: Participants chanted slogans demanding justice for the nurse and an end to ICE’s aggressive tactics.
* A symbolic display: attendees placed candles and flowers to represent the life lost and the need for healing.
The Oakland vigil served as a powerful presentation of solidarity with the Minneapolis community and a call for systemic change.
ICE Operations and Community impact
This incident underscores the ongoing debate surrounding ICE’s role and its impact on communities. Critics argue that ICE’s enforcement-first approach creates a climate of fear, disrupts families, and hinders access to essential services, including healthcare.
Key concerns include:
* Collateral Damage: The risk of innocent bystanders being harmed during ICE operations, as tragically demonstrated in Minneapolis.
* Due Process Concerns: Questions about the fairness and accuracy of ICE’s targeting and detention practices.
* Impact on Public Health: The chilling affect of ICE enforcement on immigrants’ willingness to seek medical care, even in emergencies. Studies have shown a decrease in healthcare utilization among immigrant communities fearing deportation.
* Separation of Families: The devastating consequences of ICE detentions and deportations on families and communities.
The Role of Healthcare Workers in Advocacy
The strong presence of healthcare workers at the Oakland vigil highlights a growing trend of medical professionals becoming actively involved in advocating for immigrant rights. Many believe they have a moral and ethical obligation to protect the health and well-being of all patients, regardless of immigration status.
Healthcare workers are increasingly:
* Providing Know Your rights education: Informing patients about their rights and protections during encounters with law enforcement.
* Advocating for policies that protect immigrant health: Supporting legislation that expands access to healthcare for all.
* Speaking out against ICE’s harmful practices: Using their voices to raise awareness and demand accountability.
* Offering medical support to asylum seekers and refugees: Providing care to those fleeing persecution and violence.
Legal and Investigative Updates
As of January 27th, 2026, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is leading the investigation into the shooting.ICE has stated it is cooperating fully with the investigation. Legal organizations,including the ACLU of Minnesota and [Local Immigration Law firm],are offering legal portrayal to the nurse’s family and are calling for an autonomous investigation. The Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General has also announced a review of the incident. Updates will be provided as they become available.
