First Lady Melania Trump makes rare political statement as anti-ICE unrest grips Minnesota

US First Lady Melania Trump issued a rare political statement amid raging protests in Minneapolis after border patrol agents shot Alex Pretti on January 24. Melania emphasised the need for unity in Minnesota and urged anti-ICE demonstrators to protest peacefully. “We need to unify. I’m calling for unity,” she said in an interview with Fox News.

"Please, if we protest in peace and we need to unite in these times, she added.

Melania, who usually stays away from political statements, made these remarks as protests against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents sharply escalated over the killing of two US citizens.

The First Lady stated her opposition to violence and said President Trump is working closely with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “I know my husband, the President, had a great call yesterday with the governor and the mayor, and they are working together to keep the situation peaceful and prevent riots.”

Several cities across Minnesota, especially Minneapolis, erupted in protests after federal agents fatally shot a second individual in less than a month during a high-stakes immigration operation. The victim, 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, was killed on Saturday, January 24, while reportedly attempting to film the federal action and assist a bystander who had been shoved by officers.

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While officials initially claimed Pretti was a "gunman," bystander videos showed him holding a mobile phone before he was wrestled to the ground and shot at point-blank range by Border Patrol agents. Pretti, a hospital nurse and lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, is the second resident killed this month following the shooting of Renée Nicole Good on January 7.

Trump recalls Bovino, Deploys Homan to Minnesota

Amid raging protests and opposition against federal operations in Minnesota, President Donald Trump has effectively sidelined Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol commander-at-large, who had served as the public face of the aggressive Operation Metro Surge. Following intense backlash over the administration's tactics, Bovino has been ordered to return to his former post in California.

In his place, Trump has dispatched White House "border czar" Tom Homan to take direct command of all Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations on the ground. Homan, who will report directly to the President, is tasked with managing federal activities and attempting to de-escalate the volatile standoff in the region.