A video of a US citizen speaking to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent has done the rounds online after the latter made a serious threat, mid-conversation.
Federal agents in Minnesota have not been shy in making headlines, as they have been making their way through the US state all month, following orders from Donald Trump to carry out an immigration crackdown.
Most recently, Alex Pretti, 37, was shot dead at the hands of these operations in the city of Minneapolis, becoming the second victim at the hands of these agents.
The ICU nurse was accused of carrying a semi-automatic handgun with two magazines of ammunition by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who claimed that he 'violently resisted' when officers tried to disarm him.
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Trump called him a 'gunman' on social media, though videos of the incident and witness testimonies seem to suggest otherwise, with the late American seen holding a phone, not a weapon.
Warning: Video contains graphic content
Pretti had become the second civilian casualty in January alone, after Renee Good was fatally shot while driving away from ICE agents in her car.
Her death sparked protests across the country and after Pretti was shot at least 10 times in five seconds while on the ground, these tensions have only risen.
The feeling from the American public towards these law enforcement officers is mixed, with many completely for or against their deployment, as the latest viral clip has caused more controversy.
In a 15-second clip posted to X on Tuesday (27 January) by Prem Thakker, a reporter for Zeteo News, a man can be seen speaking to an agent.
He shared the chilling footage, where the agent threatened the man, saying: "I will tell you this brother, I will tell you this - if you raise your voice, I will erase your voice.
The citizen then clarified: "You said, if I raise my voice, you'll erase my voice?"
"Exactly, yeah," the ICE agent replied.
This isn't the first time an ICE agent has made the news for their actions towards a civilian on video though, as a clip of an agent bragging about how much he earns went viral.
He can be heard talking about loving his job, claiming he 'would do it for free'.
A woman off-camera can be heard saying she gets paid $200k (£146k) as a physician's assistant, with the agent claiming that he gets the same.
"I went to high school, I get 200K," he claimed.
Officials are still uncertain on where the first shot came from when it comes to Pretti's death, though a forensic expert has analysed what was going on before Pretti's death, labelling them as 'strange'.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who described the death of Pretti as 'sickening' and a 'horrific shooting', spoke more about the actions of ICE agents in a press conference.
"What we're seeing is the consequences of governance designed to generate fear, headlines, and conflict," he claimed, adding: "It's governing by reality TV."
The Department of Homeland Security has since identified Good and Pretti as domestic terrorists, though when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked if Trump agreed with his advisors, she didn't identify Pretty in this way, claiming that an investigation is underway.
ICE in Minnesota: a timeline of events
Dec 2025: Trump sends thousands of ICE agents to Minneapolis
In late December 2025, with reports emerging around January 6 (the five-year anniversary of the Capitol Riots), President Donald Trump sent around 2,000 ICE agents into Minneapolis to crack down on immigration.
This was reportedly due to, more specifically, allegations of fraud aimed at Somalian residents.
Jan 7: ICE agent Jonathan Ross kills Renee Good
On January 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed mother-of-three Renee Good at the scene of an ICE raid in southern Minnesota. Good’s car was stopped sideways, in what is believed to have been an attempt to block ICE agents from passing.
As Good went to reverse her vehicle away from the agents, Ross shot her at least two times, once in the face. Good died at the scene.
Jan 7: Protests break out in Minneapolis
Following the killing of Renee Good, protests broke out in Minneapolis that same night. Protests are still ongoing at the time of writing (January 19), and tensions remain high in the twin cities.
Jan 12: Minnesota sues the Trump administration
On January 12, the state of Minnesota filed a motion in federal court to sue the Trump administration in an attempt to block the surge of ICE agents. Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison said immigration operations have caused ‘chaos and violence’ for millions of people and disrupted their lives.
Jan 13: ICE drags disabled woman from car
On January 13, on a street in Minnesota City, ICE agents were caught on camera dragging an unknown disabled woman from her car. This happened just two blocks from where Good was shot.
The woman shouted at the time: “I’ve been beat up by police before. I’m disabled, I’m trying to go to the doctor up there, that’s why I couldn’t move. I am an autistic disabled person, I’m trying to go to the doctor.”
The Independent reports that ‘tear gas, flash bang grenades and pepper balls were also fired towards the protesters during the stand-off’.
Jan 14: Venezuelan man shot by ICE
A Venezuelan man was shot in the leg by ICE officers on January 14 during an alleged traffic stop. It’s been reported that during the traffic stop, the officer was attacked by another individual in the car with a ‘snow shovel and broom handle’, which is allegedly why they opened fire on two individuals. The man who was shot has not yet been identified.
Jan 15: Trump threatens insurrection
Trump has not reacted well to the protests and took to Truth Social to threaten Minnesota with insurrection. On January 15, he said: “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,.”
Jan 18: 1,500 US troops on standby for deployment
On January 18, officials confirmed that 1,500 soldiers are on standby for deployment to Minneapolis. The troops are currently in Alaska, and no official word has been given to send them in as of yet.
Minnesota officials have asked protesters to stay ‘peaceful’ and ‘orderly’. This comes after Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis told ICE to ‘get the f*ck out’.
Jan 24: ICU nurse Alex Pretti shot by US Border Patrol
ICU nurse for United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Alex Pretti, was shot and killed by Border Patrol Agents in Minneapolis in the midst of citywide protests against Trump's immigration crackdown. He was a 37 year old US citizen.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Politics, Social Media, Viral
Joshua Nair