Singer Billie Eilish has called on fellow celebrities to address two killings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minneapolis in the past few weeks.
In an Instagram Story, Eilish shared a photo of herself looking at the camera with the caption, “hey my fellow celebrities u gonna speak up?” The post came shortly after she reshared content highlighting Alex Pretti’s death.
Pretti, 37, was shot and killed on Saturday during an ICE operation. The Trump administration stated that the officer involved was acting in self-defense, claiming Pretti had threatened violence with a handgun. Witness videos, however, show Pretti was not holding his weapon during the confrontation, and a federal agent seemingly removing a gun from Pretti’s holster before the shooting. According to his family, Pretti had a permit to carry a concealed firearm in Minnesota.
Eilish’s brother and collaborator Finneas shared a video addressing the incident, which Eilish reposted. In the clip, he said, “The conservative argument that allows school shootings to continue has always basically boiled down to, ‘We have to protect the Second Amendment.’ Every argument I’ve seen for why Alex Pretti’s death was justified yesterday is like, ‘Well he had a gun.’”
He continued, “Shut the f–k up! This guy was being beaten to a pulp on the ground. He didn’t draw his weapon. He had a weapon on him legally. And they still shot the f–k out of him!”
Both Eilish and Finneas have previously criticized ICE’s presence in Minneapolis, which has resulted in two civilian deaths. A few weeks before Pretti’s death, Renee Good was also shot and killed by an ICE officer in the city. The administration said that officer Jonathan Ross was acting in self-defense, while witness footage suggested he was not in immediate danger.
Eilish spoke about the situation while accepting the 2026 MLK Jr. Beloved Community Award for Environmental Justice on January 17. She said, “We’re seeing our neighbors being kidnapped, peaceful protesters being assaulted and murdered, our civil rights being stripped,” and added that many Americans “no longer feel safe in our own homes or in our streets.”
Olivia Rodrigo also addressed the events in Minneapolis, posting that “ICEs actions are unconscionable but we are not powerless. our actions matter. I stand with Minnesota.”