BAC Condemns the Killing of Alex Pretti by ICE Agents

Washington, DC – Timothy J. Driscoll, President of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) issued the following statement:

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must end its reckless conduct following the indefensible killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis this past weekend. 

Brother Pretti, a dedicated member of AFGE Local 3669 and an ICU nurse who provided care for our veterans, was slain by federal agents while exercising his First Amendment right to protest conditions in his community. The First Amendment is central to American democracy, and it’s at the heart of trade unionism.  It protects the right to assemble and protest, including the right to protest government actions, such as those of the DHS. 

Regardless of where one stands on the Administration’s stated aims concerning immigration, there can be no justification for the inhumane treatment of Brother Pretti. It is clear from the many videos of this tragic incident that one of Pretti’s last acts before his life was taken was to shield another protestor who was being assaulted with force and chemical spray by ICE agents. DHS statements that attempt to gaslight the public by blaming the victim are dishonest and disgraceful. 

The stated mission of the Department of Homeland Security is to safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values with honor and integrity. Unfortunately, DHS has strayed from this mission and sown chaos in its wake. The tragic killing of Brother Pretti serves as an immediate call for the Administration to swiftly and decisively curb the volatile and unjustifiable tactics of DHS, provide for an independent and comprehensive investigation, and return to a cooperative posture with states and cities in providing for our public safety.