SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 27, 2027 (Gephardt Daily) — An estimated crowd of 2,000 anti-ICE demonstrators marched in downtown Salt Lake City on Sunday, denouncing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown while showing solidarity with residents of Minneapolis in the aftermath of a second fatal ICE-related shooting there.
The ICE Out for Good “emergency protest” had been announced by Salt Lake Indivisible and other organizations just 18 hours earlier, in direct response to the shooting death of Alex Pretti, 37, a Minneapolis man and Veterans Affairs ICU nurse who was killed Saturday morning by federal immigration agents during an enforcement action.
Graphic video of Pretti’s shooting shocked the nation over the weekend, compounding a visceral reaction to video of the fatal shooting of Minneapolis mother Renée Nicole Good at the hands of an ICE agent three weeks earlier.
In both cases, the seering videos fueled a “seeing is believing” response, despite what critics called false statements by the Trump administration, most notably Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino, who claimed Pretti was engaged in an act of domestic terrorism and intent on massacring federal officers.
White House chief of staff Stephen Miller posted on X that Pretti was a “would-be assassin” who “tried to murder federal law enforcement.” Vice President JD Vance reposted Miller’s statement on his own account.
Photo: Gephardt Daily/Romy Colvin
Utah protesters react
Life-long Utah residents Hans and Cami attended Sunday’s protest despite the cold weather and the short notice. They said they were compelled to attend the demonstrations, not only by the videos, but in equal measure by what they believe is the administration’s gaslighting.
“It’s terrifying that people are getting killed in front of our eyes, and then you see our government say you’re not seeing what you’re seeing — it’s baffling,” Cami said. “People I know believe what they see.”
Another Utah couple, Tammy and Ruben, took part in Sunday’s protest. They also attended earlier demonstrations at the City-County Building and the Utah Capitol after seeing the video of Renee Good’s shooting. They agreed the impact was similar to what they felt when they viewed the video of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.
“We’ve seen the video. It wasn’t through somebody else’s eyes. We all can see for ourselves. Nobody has to tell us what to say or what to do, ” Tammy said.
“They want to make fear in the people, in the American people. We won’t fear. We won’t stop. We won’t stand down. We will not comply.”
VIDEO: Gephardt Daily
Sen. John Curtis speaks out, calls for open investigation
On Monday, U.S. Senator John Curtis, R-Utah, broke ranks with the Trump administration and called for an open investigation into Pretti’s fatal shooting.
In a post on X Curtis said:
“You’ve trusted me, and maintaining that trust matters. I’ve worked hard to be your eyes, ears, and voice.
‘We must have a transparent, independent investigation into the Minnesota shooting, and those responsible—no matter their title—must be held accountable. Officials who rush to judgment before all the facts are known undermine public trust and the law-enforcement mission.
“I disagree with Secretary Noem’s premature DHS response, which came before all the facts were known and weakened confidence. I will be working with a bipartisan group of senators to demand real oversight and transparency, including supporting calls from @RandPaul for leaders of these operations to testify, so trust can be restored and justice served.”
Bovino pulled from Minneapolis by Trump administration
According to The Atlantic, Bovino has been removed from his role as U.S. Border Patrol Chief and will return to his previous post in El Centro, Calif., “where he is expected to retire soon.”
President Donald Trump confirmed border czar Tom Homan will go to Minnesota to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s operations in Minneapolis.
Trump said Homan would be heading to Minnesota Monday night and will report directly to him.
