The agency also sent a report to Congress regarding the preliminary internal investigation of the incident that occurred during a migration raid on January 24, which resulted in the death of Pretty, according to information from NBC News and Reuters.
The report contains findings that contradict statements made by officials in the Donald Trump administration. In particular, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen claimed that the nurse allegedly attacked agents with a weapon before his death. However, the report does not confirm this information.
The document states that agents demanded that Pretty and his companion leave the area, to which he refused. They then sprayed pepper spray and attempted to detain the nurse, leading to a physical confrontation. Gunfire began after one of the agents shouted, "He has a gun!" However, it is unclear who exactly fired the shots that resulted in Pretty's death.
In recent weeks, U.S. federal immigration services have faced harsh criticism amid tightening immigration policies and the actions of their personnel.
In the past month, two people have been shot during raids in Minneapolis, including 37-year-old Rene Good and Alex Pretty, sparking mass protests across the country.
After Pretty's death, the Department of Homeland Security stated that he threatened federal agents with a gun. Although the deceased did indeed have a weapon with him, many social media users and journalists reviewing video footage of the incident claim that at the moment of the conflict, he was only holding a phone.
