Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the VA Health Care System, died at the hand of ICE agents during a protest where he was rendering aid to a woman who had been knocked to the ground. His last words to the woman were "Are you okay?" 

Nurse Pretti was filming ICE agents (public officials), as they monitored the streets of Minneapolis, exercising his First Amendment right to document law enforcement activities. His parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, stated that video showed Alex was not holding a gun when he was tackled by federal agents, but was holding his phone with one hand and using the other to shield one of the women who was pepper-sprayed. They asked that the truth about their son be shared. 

Alex was acting selflessly as both a fellow human being and a nurse when he was killed. This tragedy represents both a devastating personal loss and a profound failure of government accountability that strikes at the heart of human rights. 

Nurses for America (NFA), along with countless Americans, is deeply disturbed by the circumstances surrounding Alex Pretti's death. 

The Code of Ethics for Nurses Provision 8.2 calls on nurses to stand up, speak out where there are human rights violations, and demand accountability. Given the critical threshold crossed, nurses can also draw on Provision 9.5 and engage in the political process through advocacy to address legislative and regulatory concerns that most affect the public's health and related social and structural determinants. Communities are in crisis, and that impacts all aspects of the public's health. 

Nurses for America calls for: 

• Immediate accountability for the death of Alex Pretti and a transparent, independent investigation into the actions of all involved agents  

• Contacting members of Congress-call and email- and demand that they vote against the Department of Homeland Security Bill and legislate for increased controls on ICE and Customs & Border Protection agents’ actions. 

• A comprehensive review of ICE operations and oversight mechanisms 

• Protection of human rights and dignity for all people in our communities, regardless of immigration status 

NFA’s mission centers on advocating for voting rights, human rights, and equality. These principles are not negotiable. In a civil society—in a great and powerful nation such as ours— we must do better. 

We must ensure that no other family experiences what the Pretti family is enduring. We must demand that those who serve in law enforcement uphold the highest standards of human dignity and constitutional rights. 

The American people deserve both safety and justice. We can and must have both. 

Nurses for America is committed to advocating for voting rights, human rights, and equality for all. 

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The death of Minnesota mother Renee Good during an ICE operation represents a grave violation of human rights and medical ethics. According to reports, ICE agents prevented a volunteer physician from providing emergency medical care to a dying woman—an action that contradicts the fundamental principles of healthcare and human dignity.

The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics, Provision 8.2 

 is clear: nurses have a professional duty to advance human rights in all forums, including the political arena, and to advocate for policy changes when health and well-being are compromised.

As healthcare professionals, we have held the hands of dying patients countless times—during the pandemic, on battlefields, in moments when no one else would stand by them. We provide care without asking about political beliefs or immigration status, because every human life has inherent worth.

When law enforcement blocks access to emergency medical care, we must speak out.

Nurses for America calls for immediate accountability for Renee Good's death, transparent investigation of all involved agents, and protection of the fundamental right to emergency medical care for all people, regardless of circumstance.

We also demand a comprehensive review of ICE operations in hospitals, schools, and community spaces where enforcement actions endanger families and interfere with the basic human right to healthcare.

Our mission centers on advocating for voting rights, human rights, and equality. In a civil society, access to emergency medical care is not negotiable. We must ensure that no other family endures what Renee Good's family is experiencing.

The American people deserve both safety and justice. We can and must have both.

Nurses for America advocates for voting rights, human rights, and equality for all.

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           info@nursesforamerica.net