CLEVELAND — As part of a last-minute nationwide vigil for 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who was killed a week ago in Minneapolis by ICE agents, hundreds flocked to the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in Cleveland on Sunday.
RELATED: Hundreds protest in Downtown Cleveland as part of national day of action against ICE
Pretti, an ICE nurse for the VA, was fatally wounded on Jan. 24 in Minneapolis while filming immigration enforcement officers.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, officials said Pretti had brandished a weapon, but video evidence showed agents had already retrieved Pretti’s firearm seconds before firing the fatal shots.
His death hit close to home for many veterans and VA employees.
A nationwide vigil was called for Sunday night.
Cleveland's night of remembrance was held at the Louis Stokes VA Medical Hospital.
It attracted hundreds despite the brutally cold temperatures.
Brian Poindexter told me he'd only found out about the vigil just hours prior, but made it a point to be there.
"I'm here to support Alex Pretti's life and honor him. He gave his life to protect somebody else, and it's sad that he lost his life at the hands of our government, and I think that's tragic, and we should never become numb to that," Poindexter said. "When you stand up and do the right thing, people will stand up and honor your legacy and I think that this was indicative of that."
Judy Routhier, the wife of a local veteran, was in attendance Sunday, too.
"I am a protester. I go out. I'm upset with a lot of things to do with this administration. This is probably my 92nd time I've been out. I've been to D.C. I've been to Columbus. I've been to Denver. I've been to Cleveland, mostly," she said.
Not only is she married to someone who served this country, but she said her father is an immigrant.
"My father was an immigrant from Poland. He came two years after World War II ended. His family farm had been decimated and they were all starving. He, his father, and two brothers immigrated here for a better life," Routhier said. "Nobody was more passionate about being an American than my dad, so if I don't come out here and honor him, and he's since passed, I am doing him a great disservice because he came here for a better life for us and this is how I honor my dad."
Routhier said she wants justice and accountability not only for Pretti, but also for Renee Good, who was also a U.S. citizen killed in January by ICE agents in Minneapolis.
"I wonder how many more people are suffering violence at the hands of ICE, who are highly untrained individuals. How many more people are suffering that kind of damage, that kind of physical suffering without the cameras on them? Alex had a camera on him. He had several cameras on him from several angles. Renee had cameras on her, so we mourn them, we suffer for them. But what about the people who don't have the cameras on them? That's what I'm thinking about because a lot's happening behind the scenes," Routhier said.
She describes both deaths, Good and Pretti's, as "straight up murder."
"This one hit pretty hard. He (Pretti) was helping others and he died for no reason, and I want to be here so that someday if it happens to me, God forbid, someone will show up for me. He supported vets. I'm married to a vet. I love a vet. It's just heartbreaking," Routhier said.
Routhier believes the federal government needs to have a comprehensive re-evaluation of ICE's budget.
Poindexter said he wants to see ICE utilize different tactics during day-to-day operations.
"When we're creating chaos in city streets, that's something I don't want to see in any American city. I'd like to see people come together," he told me on Sunday. "We should just stop turning on each other in this country, you know, there's strength and unity. We are the United States and we should really find common ground on a lot of issues."
Not only were local VA union leaders, loved ones, and protesters at Sunday's vigil, but Congresswoman Shontel Brown (D-OH) made an appearance and spoke out against ICE.
"I think it's important to show the community that they have a member who is willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the cold, that I will not be bullied, intimidated, or silenced by this administration. I am wanting to make sure that they understand I'm in this fight with them," Brown said.
Speaking to those who showed up to the vigil, Brown said she, along with her Democratic colleagues are working to ensure ICE does not receive any further public funding.
"If you paid any attention to the House, the numbers are very slim as it relates to the majority's margin, and so we know that we are going to use that leverage to try to make sure that the Republicans listen to us. They cannot pass legislation without coming to the table. They cannot get our votes without at least listening to our demands. I'm trusting that our leadership is already sitting at the negotiation table, making sure that they understand the demands of the community," Brown said.
She told me this moment in history is an all-hands-on-deck situation, not only from government officials but also the community.
"This type of protest, this type of engagement is what we need to be doing to show the president, his administration, and our Republican colleagues how people are feeling right now across the country, not just here in Ohio," Rep. Brown said.
Ohio is also seemingly gearing up for ICE agents to move into Springfield this coming week.
Ohio’s Haitian community has been in the spotlight since the 2024 election, when President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance baselessly claimed that immigrants were eating pets.
On Tuesday, the Haitians who legally immigrated to the U.S under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will have it revoked.
About 15,000 Haitian immigrants call Springfield home. Once their TPS expires, tens of thousands of Haitians could lose their jobs, be forced to leave or become undocumented.
U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno has been supportive of ICE and says there is a way to prevent agents from shooting citizens.
“You do not have a right to impede federal law enforcement operations, and the way we avoid that is to make certain that when we are enforcing federal law, that the city, the county, and the state is totally aligned with what we're doing,” Moreno said.
Brown said she wants Ohio to remain vigilant during this time.
"We have to recognize that they are setting things up well in advance of when they actually pull the trigger on the damage and reckless policies that they are putting into action," Brown said. "I want the Haitian community to know that we are standing in solidarity with them. We're going to do everything that we can to protect them and that what this administration is doing is absolutely wrong."
Rep. Brown said she plans to be back in Washington, D.C. this week to continue fighting against ICE.
