Washington, 26 January 2026 (dpa/MIA) - Former US president Barack Obama was among those condemning the second fatal shooting of a civilian by US immigration officers in the space of two weeks, citizens telling on Sunday they were right to be outraged.

"The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values ​​as a nation are increasingly under assault," Obama said in a post on X in response to the shooting in the US city of Minneapolis on Saturday.

"For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city."

Obama called on Americans to "support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests" in Minneapolis and other parts of the country.

"They are a timely reminder that ultimately it's up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our basic freedoms, and hold our government accountable."

Fellow former US president Bill Clinton echoed Obama's words.

"At every turn, the people in charge have lied to us, told us not to believe what we've seen with our own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and antagonistic tactics, including impeding investigations by local authorities," he said in a statement.

"Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them. If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back."

It was up to "all of us who believe in the promise of American democracy to stand up, speak out, and show that our nation still belongs to We the People," he added.

California Governor Gavin Newsom earlier called for the dismissal of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and of Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino.

"Kristi Noem must RESIGN. Greg Bovino must be FIRED," Newsom said on X. "Suspend the LAWLESS mass deportation raids nationwide NOW — ICE is no longer just deporting dangerous criminals," Newsom asserted.

In addition, Democrats in the US Senate threatened to block budget funds for the Department of Homeland Security.

In the wake of the death of Pretti, a white 37-year-old nurse who worked at a veterans hospital, renewed protests broke out in Minneapolis against deportation raids and the suppression of peaceful resistance to them.

The killing comes just two weeks after 37-year-old Renee Good was shot in her car by federal agents in the same city, prompting demonstrations across the country after videos appeared to contradict authorities' claims that agents were in mortal danger during the incident.

In addition, dozens of people gathered for a candlelit vigil outside the home of the man who was killed.

Hollywood stars joined the growing chorus of criticism of the deportation policy under the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Actress Olivia Wilde told the trade journal Variety: "I'm appalled and sickened. We can't go another day accepting this as our new norm. It's outrageous."

She added: "People are being murdered, and I don't want to normalize seeing that violence — on the internet or on film. It's hideous."

Speaking at the Sundance Film Festival in Idaho, actress Natalie Portman said that the US was "at a moment in our country's history that is quite devastating."

"It's really impossible not to talk about what is happening right now and the brutality of ICE and how it has to stop immediately," Portmann added.

MIA file photo