Atlanta protesters demand Sen. Ossoff block $10B ICE funding after nurse's death
Atlanta protesters rally against ICE at Ossoff’s office
Approximately two dozen demonstrators gathered on the 17th Street Bridge near Atlantic Station in downtown Atlanta to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ATLANTA - About two dozen demonstrators gathered at the 17th Street Bridge near Atlantic Station on Monday to call on Sen. Jon Ossoff to act in the wake of the death of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
Who is Alex Pretti?
What we know:
The highly scrutinized shooting of Pretti was caught on camera and caused a wave of backlash as the second death at the hands of federal immigration officers since the Trump administration began its large-scale operation in the city late last year.
While questions remained about the confrontation, some experts believe the video undermined federal authorities’ claim that Pretti approached with a firearm and that the officer opened fire defensively.
Pretti can be seen with only a phone in his hand. No footage has been made public that appears to show him brandishing a weapon in the moments before or during the confrontation.
Pretti is seen held down by officers for several seconds when someone is heard saying, "gun, gun." An officer appears to pull a handgun from Pretti’s waist area and begins moving away.
Then the first shot is fired by a Border Patrol officer. There’s a slight pause, and then the same officer fires several more times into Pretti’s back. Multiple officers back off. Within seconds, Pretti is motionless on the street.
Pretti was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.
ICE death investigation
Dig deeper:
Any investigation into the details of the shooting will likely be highly scrutinized. The Trump administration has been quick to cast Pretti as an armed instigator.
During a briefing Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI were investigating the shooting and U.S. Customs and Border Protection was "conducting their own internal review."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which normally plays a key role in any case in which a federal law enforcement officer kills a civilian, is instead only lending support in processing physical evidence from the scene, such as Pretti’s gun.
Historically, the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department investigates shootings of civilians by law enforcement officers for potential criminal violations, but there’s no indication that they intend to do so in Pretti’s case. In the case of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement earlier this month that "there is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation."
ICE protest in Atlanta
What they're saying:
In Atlanta, the group of protesters rallied in opposition to the recent deadly shooting in Minnesota and the way the administration has been carrying out immigration enforcement in Georgia and across the country.
Protestors urged Senator Ossoff to hold firm and vote no on any proposal to expand U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security, and to support proposals that promote the safety and care for immigrant communities.
"They have already killed two people in the past couple of weeks in Minnesota," demonstrator Carey Jenkins told reporters. "And the rogue agency that they are, they have absolute power. They have immunity. They can do whatever they want to do. They are snatching U.S. citizens out of their cars, out of their homes. They're not being checked. They're a threat to our democracy, and they must be stopped."
The group also called on Sen. Ossoff to continue to halt efforts to expand the number of detention centers in Georgia.
Demonstrators insist this is not solely an immigration issue, and that every American should be concerned about the ICE involved shootings and other controversial actions surrounding the federal agency.
Ossoff, Warnock to oppose ICE funding
The response:
Sen. Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock have said they won't support a bipartisan spending bill that includes $10 billion for ICE without added civil liberties protections.
In a statement posted to his Facebook page on Sunday, Sen. Ossoff wrote:
"Massively deployed and ill-trained Federal forces are violating civil liberties with impunity and showing reckless disregard for life and property. Masked federal agents are detaining citizens without cause and raiding Americans' homes without a judge's warrant. A growing number of Americans have been assaulted or killed. This cannot be America. Democrats and Republicans alike must act to stop this spiraling chaos and protect our Constitutional rights."
Sen. Warnock echoed those sentiments over the past 48 hours, appearing on multiple news programs and also posting a statement on Monday to his Facebook page reading:
"I can’t think of something more un-American than a federal law enforcement agency that can:
"Enter homes without a judicial warrant.
"Patrol our streets in unmarked vehicles.
"Demand papers at random.
"ICE has become a threat to our American freedoms."
The Source: FOX 5's Deidra Dukes is reporting from Atlanta. The Associated Press contributed national perspective to this article.