Largest Federal Workers Union Demands Ouster of Noem, Miller Over Killing of VA Nurse Alex Pretti

The largest union of federal workers in the US on Monday demanded the resignation or firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller following the killing of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend.

Pretti, who worked at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was a member of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3669. The union's national president, Everett Kelley, said in a statement that "Noem betrayed the public trust by slandering the good name of our union brother and calling him a 'domestic terrorist.'"

"Noem was preceded in this false statement by Stephen Miller," Kelley added. "Our demand is clear: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was responsible for carrying out the policy that led to Alex’s needless killing, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the architect of that policy, must resign immediately. If they refuse, President Trump must dismiss them."

AFGE represents tens of thousands of DHS employees, including Border Patrol agents. In 2022, the union split with its council representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

The union's call for the ouster of Noem and Miller came amid mounting support from Democratic members of Congress for Noem's impeachment.

"I’ve called for the resignation of Kristi Noem, and I will vote for her impeachment," Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said late Monday. "She’s obstructing local authorities from investigating two murders committed in Minneapolis by DHS agents."

While the White House is still publicly backing Noem, Pretti's killing by as-yet unidentified federal agents has reportedly heightened internal scrutiny of her leadership at DHS. On Monday evening, according to the New York Times, President Donald Trump held a two-hour meeting with Noem in the Oval Office—but he reportedly did not suggest during the meeting that Noem's job is at risk.

Politico noted that it was Noem who elevated Greg Bovino, Border Patrol's commander, to the head of operations in Minneapolis, where federal agents have killed two people this month—Pretti and Renee Good, both US citizens.

The Trump administration has reportedly removed Bovino from Minneapolis. The Atlantic reported late Monday that Bovino has lost his job as Border Patrol's "commander at large"; a DHS spokesperson wrote on social media that Bovino "has NOT been relieved of his duties" and is a "key part of the president's team."

Miller, for his part, "has continued to push for aggressive immigration enforcement, arguing the administration shouldn’t back down in Minneapolis" in the wake of Pretti's killing, the Wall Street Journal reported. Miller smeared Pretti as a "would-be assassin" who "tried to murder federal law enforcement," a lie that the White House press secretary repeatedly declined to endorse when pressed by reporters on Monday.

AFGE Local 3669 said in a statement that Pretti "was dedicated to caring for veterans and treated them with decency and respect, sometimes in their final moments—which is the exact opposite of how he was treated during his."

"AFGE Local 3669 is disgusted by the abhorrent rhetoric of Trump administration officials following his killing. Alex was a son, a colleague, and a fellow union brother, not an ‘assassin’ or a ‘domestic terrorist,'" the union said. "Alex was the best of us and he will be dearly missed. Rest in power, brother."