Pressure is building inside Washington after the killing of Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti, with the nation’s largest federal workers union now demanding top-level resignations.
On Monday, the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents tens of thousands of federal employees nationwide, called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to step down. The demand follows Pretti’s death at the hands of federal agents over the weekend in Minneapolis.
Pretti worked as an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center and belonged to AFGE Local 3669. In a sharply worded statement, AFGE National President Everett Kelley accused Noem of falsely portraying Pretti after his death. “Noem betrayed the public trust by slandering the good name of our union brother and calling him a ‘domestic terrorist,’” Kelley said.
Kelley also placed blame on Miller for shaping the enforcement approach tied to the incident. “Noem was preceded in this false statement by Stephen Miller,” he added. “Our demand is clear: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was responsible for carrying out the policy that led to Alex’s needless killing, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the architect of that policy, must resign immediately. If they refuse, President Trump must dismiss them.”
The union’s action comes as some Democratic lawmakers escalate their response. Rep. Don Beyer publicly backed Noem’s removal, saying, “I’ve called for the resignation of Kristi Noem, and I will vote for her impeachment. She’s obstructing local authorities from investigating two murders committed in Minneapolis by DHS agents.”
Despite public support from the White House, Noem’s leadership is reportedly under closer internal review. Trump met privately with Noem for two hours on Monday, though no decision about her future was announced.
AFGE Local 3669 emphasized Pretti’s career caring for veterans, often during their final moments. “Alex was a son, a colleague, and a fellow union brother, not an ‘assassin’ or a ‘domestic terrorist,’” the local said. “Alex was the best of us, and he will be dearly missed. Rest in power, brother.”
