Hundreds gathered outside Chicago's Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to honor Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse shot to death by two Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis last weekend. The event, which drew many nurses still wearing their badges from nearby hospitals, was marked with a traditional Nightingale Tribute – a send-off for nurses typically performed at funerals.
As they paid their respects, the crowd called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a general strike modeled after one in Minneapolis. Nurses, including emergency room nurse Jacquelyn Ceplecha, expressed outrage over Pretti's killing, which was the third such incident involving federal agents this month in Minnesota alone.
"We want ICE off the streets," Ceplecha said passionately. "We don't want to see any more of our people getting hurt."
Illinois politicians had spoken out against Pretti's murder, but critics argue they failed to act swiftly enough. The killings are part of a broader pattern of violence perpetrated by federal agents, including two incidents in the Chicago area last year that left one man dead and another critically injured.
The two Border Patrol agents involved in Pretti's shooting have been placed on administrative leave, but some attendees called for tougher action. Cook County nurse Dennis Kosuth argued that redirecting funds from ICE to healthcare would help address the root causes of violence – namely, unaffordable care and systemic poverty.
"Politics is a lie," Kosuth said. "It's because they spent all your money on ICE. The billionaires and their lackeys in Congress are criminals."
As the crowd dispersed, many attendees vowed to continue pushing for change until justice was served and accountability was achieved.
As they paid their respects, the crowd called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a general strike modeled after one in Minneapolis. Nurses, including emergency room nurse Jacquelyn Ceplecha, expressed outrage over Pretti's killing, which was the third such incident involving federal agents this month in Minnesota alone.
"We want ICE off the streets," Ceplecha said passionately. "We don't want to see any more of our people getting hurt."
Illinois politicians had spoken out against Pretti's murder, but critics argue they failed to act swiftly enough. The killings are part of a broader pattern of violence perpetrated by federal agents, including two incidents in the Chicago area last year that left one man dead and another critically injured.
The two Border Patrol agents involved in Pretti's shooting have been placed on administrative leave, but some attendees called for tougher action. Cook County nurse Dennis Kosuth argued that redirecting funds from ICE to healthcare would help address the root causes of violence – namely, unaffordable care and systemic poverty.
"Politics is a lie," Kosuth said. "It's because they spent all your money on ICE. The billionaires and their lackeys in Congress are criminals."
As the crowd dispersed, many attendees vowed to continue pushing for change until justice was served and accountability was achieved.
she was just doing her job and got shot by border patrol agents like that's not even right 
i'm so angry that the politicians didn't do enough to stop this from happening but at least some of them are speaking out now 
let's hope justice is served and change happens soon 
we need more ppl like Dennis Kosuth who gets it 
. These poor nurses, just doing their job, and they get shot by the very people supposed to protect us. It's like, what's going on? I remember when I was in nursing school, we were always worried about patients who couldn't afford meds, but not like this. Not like people getting killed for showing up to work 
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. And the politicians, they're just too slow to react, if you ask me 
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. It's like, we're supposed to be the land of the free, but it feels more like a land of the oppressed 
. We need to keep pushing for change until justice is served 
The thing that really gets me is how this incident is being framed as a "broad pattern of violence perpetrated by federal agents". I mean, it's not just about ICE or Border Patrol - we need to acknowledge the root causes here, like systemic poverty and unaffordable healthcare. 
We need to stop treating healthcare as a luxury and start seeing it as a human right. And it's not just about the money - it's also about recognizing that our current system is failing us.
It's a reminder that healthcare workers are on the frontlines of this issue, and we need to support them.
this is soooo sad what happened to Alex Pretti 
we need systemic change ASAP 
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. And what really gets my goat is that everyone's so quick to call for a general strike and abolition of ICE, but nobody's talking about how we're going to actually pay for all that 
. But let's at least have some kind of discussion about the actual solutions, rather than just throwing our hands up in the air and saying " politics is a lie" 
...
Nurse drama alert! 
These border patrol agents need a reality check 
ICE needs to go 
#NursesUnite
. And now we've got a whole crowd of nurses and protesters calling for the abolition of ICE? I don't know if that's gonna happen, but I do know we need to make some real changes 
. We need to take matters into our own hands a bit more. A general strike or something? I'm not sure if that's gonna work, but we gotta try 
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It's heartbreaking that Alex Pretti, an innocent nurse, lost his life due to senseless violence perpetrated by federal agents. The lack of swift action from politicians is deeply concerning and highlights a systemic issue that needs immediate attention. 
what happened to her is so not okay!! i'm all for the abolition of ice and general strike it's time we stand up for our rights as nurses and as ppl who care 
my heart goes out to alexs family and friends let's make some noise and demand justice 
, can't imagine having to deal with this kind of trauma on top of their job stress 
. we need systemic change now 
. let's keep pushing for justice & accountability 