White House Retreats After Deadly Turn in Trump's Immigration Crackdown

• Federal agents killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, initially leading the White House to blame him, but public and political outrage forced a tactical reversal.
• The incident, coupled with an earlier death of Renée Nicole Good, created significant political liability for the Trump administration, drawing criticism from Democrats, civil-rights groups, and even within the Republican party.
• Trump distanced himself from initial claims by Stephen Miller calling Pretti an "assassin" and called for an "honourable and honest investigation" within 48 hours.
• Operational control of the Minneapolis enforcement effort was transferred from Greg Bovino to Tom Homan, and Trump engaged in conciliatory calls with Minnesota's Democratic leadership.
• The incident exposed a fault line with gun-rights advocates and led to a drop in public approval for Trump's immigration handling, impacting legislative support for enforcement budgets.

Why It Matters: A deadly shooting forced the Trump administration to tactically retreat and soften its immigration rhetoric.