Sacramento ICE protesters ‘stand in solidarity’ after attack, Minneapolis killings
A man who was assaulted two weeks ago while protesting outside the federal building where Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates in Sacramento continued to demonstrate Sunday, the day after the killing of a second Minneapolis protester.
“We’re losing all of our constitutional rights,” Scott Stauffer said about the killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti. An immigration officer shot Pretti, 37 and a U.S. citizen with no criminal record, after he tried to shield other protesters from being pepper sprayed.
Stauffer reported being attacked by counter-protesters on Jan. 17 while he carried an anti-ICE flag outside John Moss Federal Building a few blocks from the state Capitol. Sacramento police announced earlier this week the arrest of a man and a woman accused of perpetrating the assault.
The group of protesters on Sunday, that included Stauffer, said they had protesting at the site for months, and the protest is now nearly 24 hours a day. The afternoon crowd of about 30 chanted “ICE out of Sactown” and held signs reading “This is not about politics. It’s about humanity.”
Messages written in chalk on the ground and on entrance gates to the facility read: “Let the kids out of the cages” and “ICE is the threat to public safety.” Passing cars honked and waved in support. A crowd of about 50 to 100 people also gathered at the intersection of 16th and J streets, near Sacramento Memorial Auditorium.
“We’ve got the names of everybody who has been murdered in ICE facilities that we know of,” Stauffer said.
Two and a half weeks before Pretti’s killing, Renee Nicole Good, also 37 and a US citizen, was killed by an immigration officer in Minneapolis after a confrontation. Federal officials have said both killings were defensive, which is at odds with the assessments of local officials and other reports.
Good’s death has been ruled a homicide by the Hennepin County medical examiner; and in a video analysis of Pretti’s death the New York Times reported that the footage “appear(s) to contradict the Department of Homeland Security’s account.” The DHS stated that Pretti “approached US Boarder Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun.” But the New York Times determined that Pretti was “clearly holding a phone, not a gun.”
Pretti has been reported to have had a gun on his person, and officers appear to have taken the gun prior to firing shots. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a news conference that Pretti was a licensed gun owner with a permit to carry.
Protesters face fear, they say
Hoka Wicasa, who said he is Dakota, has been protesting for about a week and came out to “stand in solidarity” with Stauffer after the assault.
Wicasa said he is the lead singer of a drum group called The Prayer Warriors and has been working at the protest, along with Sisi Rose, 33, to bring peace and healing and stand up against ICE’s “unlawful detainers of Native Americans, of American citizens.”
Rose was born in Minneapolis and said she is Sisseton-Wahpeton and Cheyenne River. She said her family that still lives in the Twin Cities and they are “terrified” to take their children to school.
“I could be deported, and I’m from here. I could be snatched up off the streets, and I’m from here. My kids could be snatched up off the streets, and we’re from here, and that scares me,” Rose said.
Rose said she was protesting despite fears of violence.
“We’re in a domestic violence relationship with our own government,” Rose said. “That’s where we’re at in this country, and it’s sad.”
Sheila Anadon, 52, said she felt it was time for her to protest after Pretti’s death.
“People of color are usually fighting for our rights, and they can’t really be out here in the open like we can right now, so I 100% felt like it was my responsibility,” Anadon said.
She brought a first-aid kit to the protest and said she was scared for her safety after incidents in Minneapolis.
Man describes attack while protesting ICE
On Jan. 17, Stauffer, who is originally from the Los Angeles area, said he was protesting with an anti-ICE flag when 20 to 50 cars in what he called a “Trump train” showed up, with flags supporting President Donald Trump’s administration.
He said the cars were getting so close to him that he was getting hit with their mirrors. He then heard a window shattering and saw people attacking the window of his van. When Stauffer approached them, he said he was maced with bear spray and hit with baseball bats.
“It’s intimidating, not gonna lie,” Stauffer said.
Sacramento Police Department officers responded to reports of an assault on just before 3:30 p.m. in the 500 block of N Street, a spokesperson for the department said.
Police officials said Friday that Sean McCune, 53, and Megan Garfield, 41, both of Sacramento County, now face charges of assault with a deadly weapon, felony vandalism and conspiracy charges in connection with this incident. The investigation is continuing, officials said Sunday.
Stauffer said he has also experienced people throwing eggs at protesters and cars swerving toward the group.
He said the protest has grown since he was attacked. People have begun to donate food and water, and the community supports each other, especially protesters who have healing professions like therapists, Stauffer said.
“I‘m very proud of Sacramento,” Stauffer said. “Very proud of Sacramento for showing up and being upset.”
This story was originally published January 25, 2026 at 5:26 PM.
