[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDoctors for AmericaPO Box: 211612300 18th St NW LbbyWashington, DC 20009-9996January 27, 2026

Fear-Based Enforcement Endangers Health and Lives

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Doctors for America (DFA) mourns the tragic death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Intensive Care Unit nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, who was fatally shot by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026. We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Pretti’s family, friends, colleagues, and the nursing and healthcare communities who are grieving the loss of a clinician who devoted his life to healing others and died protecting his community.Nurses are indispensable to patient care. They serve people in moments of profound vulnerability, uphold safety and dignity, and are essential to high-quality health systems. Doctors for America stands in solidarity with our nursing colleagues and affirms that no healthcare worker—and no individual—should face violence in their workplace or community.“Mr. Pretti’s death reflects a broader and deeply troubling pattern. Physicians across the country have witnessed these consequences for years: missed appointments, worsening disease, and avoidable emergencies rooted not in neglect, but in fear,” said Dr. Halleh Akbarnia, DFA board member and an emergency medicine physician in Chicago. “In Minneapolis and nationwide, aggressive enforcement tactics have shattered basic expectations of safety and protection, undermining both public health and the rule of law. This is unacceptable.”Doctors for America supports calls for a comprehensive, independent, and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Pretti’s death. Accountability is essential for his loved ones, for healthcare workers, and for the public.DFA equips clinicians with practical, evidence-based tools to improve care with and for undocumented patients, including our Healthcare Advocacy for Undocumented Individuals toolkit. We encourage broad sharing and use of this resource.

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About Doctors for AmericaDoctors for America (DFA) is a national nonprofit that mobilizes over 40,000 physicians and medical trainees to advocate for policies that improve the health of patients and communities. Through advocacy training and action at the state and federal levels, DFA works to expand access to affordable care, strengthen community health and prevention efforts, and advance health justice and equity. We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical, insurance, or for-profit health care entities, ensuring our work remains fiercely independent and patient-centered. DFA puts patients over politics—and over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]