Stand Up for Your Constitutional Rights

The killing of US citizen Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at a VA hospital, is the latest action by the Trump administration that violates our constitutional rights. Our 1st amendment rights, 2nd amendment rights, and 4th amendment rights are under imminent threat.

1st Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

ICE officers have frequently told observers in public places that it is illegal for them to record their actions. Some who have followed and recorded ICE have been physically assaulted and detained. Several states have attempted/are attempting to pass laws that restrict how closely someone can stand while filming police officers in public, but one Arizona law of this kind was struck down for violating first amendment protections.

In the case of Alex Pretti, he appeared to be standing to the side of a public street with his phone out when ICE officers approached him, pepper-sprayed him, and a group of them wrestled him to the ground. A few seconds later, ICE officers shot Pretti multiple times in the back. There were multiple chances to de-escalate, but officers did not take them. It appears that this could have very easily happened to another person filming.

Per constitutional law, it is legal to record ICE in public places, but ICE's aggressive behavior towards observers erodes this right.

2nd Amendment

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

While he was peacefully protesting, Alex Pretti had a permitted, concealed gun on his person. When he was tackled by a group of ICE officers, one of them appears to have found the gun and removed it from his person, seconds before he was shot.

Kristi Noem claimed that Pretti intended to "kill" and "inflict maximum damage," which is not in any way backed up by the footage. Other Trump officials suggested that Pretti broke the law by carrying a concealed weapon at a protest, but the Minneapolis police chief clarified that Pretti had a permit and was acting legally.

Under the 2nd amendment, the mere fact that Pretti was carrying a permitted, concealed weapon while observing officers is not a legitimate justification for the state to kill him.

4th Amendment

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Last week, ICE was called out for distributing an internal memo which asserted the right to forcibly enter homes without a judicial warrant; only an administrative warrant from within the agency was deemed necessary. This contradicts Supreme Court rulings on the matter. On January 20th, a naturalized US citizen was filmed while ICE dragged out of his home in his underwear in the cold, reportedly without being shown a warrant. An hour or two later, he was returned to his home after agents checked his ID.

Even if US citizens are eventually released, the fourth amendment should protect us (and non-citizens) from patently unreasonable searches and seizures. But ProPublica found that in 2025, over 170 US citizens had been detained by ICE, including 20 children, 2 of whom had cancer.

ICE's policies and actions exhibit an ongoing pattern of disregard for the 4th amendment.

It is time to stand up for what is true and what is right.

Across these encroachments into our constitutional rights, the Trump administration has fabricated obvious lies and generally asserted that it has the rights to do these things. JD Vance claimed that the ICE officer who shot and killed Renee Good had "absolute immunity" because "he was doing his job." Alex Pretti's parents faced the further indignity of the administration telling "sickening lies" about their son.

If there is no accountability for these actions, then the Trump administration will be able to continue to violate our 1st, 2nd, and 4th amendment rights. So long as they are able to do so with impunity, we effectively no longer have those rights.

Please reach out to your US representatives and senators and ask them to protect our constitution. Vote for/donate to leaders with integrity who are willing to stand up for our American values and freedoms. And maybe support a local community group that is working to peacefully resist.

We need to collectively act, now.

Photo Credit: Charles "Duck" Unitas