SAN DIEGO, CA — Members of National Nurses United will hold a vigil on Thursday to honor registered nurse Alex Pretti, who was tragically killed by federal agents in Minneapolis last weekend.
Registered nurses will convene at the VA Medical Center San Diego to pay tribute to Pretti and to remember all individuals who have lost their lives at the hands of federal immigration agents. This event is organized by National Nurses United, representing over 225,000 nurses nationwide. Attendees will advocate for the abolition of ICE and urge Congress to cease any further funding for the Department of Homeland Security in relation to ICE.
Pretti, 37, was fatally shot by federal agents who were attempting to apprehend him while he intervened between an agent and a protester. He served as a registered nurse in an ICU unit at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis.
This tragic incident occurred just weeks after another protester, Renee Good, 37, was also shot and killed by an ICE agent on January 7 in Minneapolis.
“Registered nurses have expressed outrage over ICE’s presence in their communities and the increasing violence that has led to the deaths of both Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, along with 32 individuals who died in ICE custody in 2025, and the countless families affected by the harsh policies of the Trump administration,” stated a news release from National Nurses United.
“The rise in intimidation, violence, and a general sense of lawlessness perpetrated by ICE coincides with the Republican Party and Trump cutting nearly a trillion dollars from healthcare funding for Medicaid and Medicare to finance the deportation apparatus.”
The vigil will commence at 7:30 p.m. at the VA Medical Center San Diego, located at 9598 Gilman Drive.
