DAVID GILBERT POLITICS JAN 24, 2026 7:37 PM The Instant Smear Campaign Against Border Patrol Shooting Victim Alex Pretti Within minutes of the shooting, the Trump administration and right-wing influencers began disparaging the man shot by a federal immigration officer on Saturday in Minneapolis. PHOTOGRAPH: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/GETTY IMAGES Get our Tracker: ICE newsletter to understand what’s happening and what’s coming next SIGN UP By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy. You’ve read your last free article. The intersection of technology, power, and culture. Start your free trial and get access to 5 all-new premium newsletters—cancel anytime. START FREE TRIAL Already a subscriber? Sign In The intersection of technology, power, and culture. Start your free trial and get access to 5 all-new premium newsletters START FREE TRIAL You Might Also Like In your inbox: Sign up for our new Tracker: ICE newsletter Moltbot is taking over Silicon Valley Big Story: He leaked a scam compound’s secrets—and had to get out alive Palantir defended its work with ICE to staff Olympics: From medals to mascots, here’s everything you need to know David Gilbert is a reporter at WIRED covering disinformation, online extremism, and how these two online trends impact people’s lives across the globe, with a special focus on the 2024 US presidential election. Prior to joining WIRED, he worked at VICE News. He lives in Ireland. ... Read More REPORTER TOPICS IMMIGRATION IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT DONALD TRUMP POLITICS POLICY NATIONAL SECURITY MINNESOTA DISINFORMATION Don't Just Keep Up. Get Ahead Sign up for the Daily newsletter to get our biggest stories, handpicked for you each day. SIGN UP By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy. READ MORE FBI Agent’s Sworn Testimony Contradicts Claims ICE’s Jonathan Ross Made Under Oath The testimony also calls into question whether Ross failed to follow his training during the incident in which he reportedly shot and killed Minnesota citizen Renee Good. TIM MARCHMAN Judge Delays Minnesota ICE Decision While Weighing Whether State Is Being Illegally Punished A federal judge ordered a new briefing due Wednesday on whether DHS is using armed raids to pressure Minnesota into abandoning its sanctuary policies, leaving ICE operations in place for now. DELL CAMERON Republicans Are All In on Boosting Fraud Allegations in California Right-wing influencers who were instrumental in spreading allegations of fraud in Minnesota ahead of ICE’s surge are now going after a number of California’s social welfare programs. MAKENA KELLY ICE Details a New Minnesota-Based Detention Network That Spans 5 States Internal ICE planning documents propose spending up to $50 million on a privately run network capable of shipping immigrants in custody hundreds of miles across the Upper Midwest. DELL CAMERON Palantir Defends Work With ICE to Staff Following Killing of Alex Pretti “In my opinion ICE are the bad guys. I am not proud that the company I enjoy so much working for is part of this,” one worker wrote on Slack. MAKENA KELLY Minnesota Is Just the Beginning. California and New York Are ‘Next’ The Trump administration appears to be planning to leverage the same playbook used in Minnesota to go after other blue states. LEAH FEIGER ICE Agent’s ‘Dragging’ Case May Help Expose Evidence in Renee Good Shooting The government has withheld details of the investigation of Renee Good’s killing—but an unrelated case involving the ICE agent who shot her could force new revelations. DELL CAMERON Donald Trump Wants to Force Colorado to Free an Imprisoned Election Denier. It’s Not Working Former election clerk Tina Peters is a hero to conspiracy theorists, and even received an empty “pardon” from the president. Colorado's governor has held firm against commuting her sentence—so far. DAVID GILBERT Inside the ICE Forum Where Agents Complain About Their Jobs “I'm all for removing illegals, but snatching dudes off lawn mowers in Cali and leaving the truck and equipment just sitting there? Definitely not working smarter,” writes one forum user. VITTORIA ELLIOTT MAGA’s ‘Manifest Destiny’ Coalition Has Arrived Warring factions of right-wing influencers and MAGA pundits can finally agree on something: American imperialism. MAKENA KELLY Former USDS Leaders Launch Tech Reform Project to Fix What DOGE Broke The plan, which is still in its early stages, is spearheaded by former USDS administrator Mikey Dickerson. STEVEN LEVY US Judge Rules ICE Raids Require Judicial Warrants, Contradicting Secret ICE Memo The ruling in federal court in Minnesota lands as Immigration and Customs Enforcement faces scrutiny over an internal memo claiming judge-signed warrants aren’t needed to enter homes without consent. DELL CAMERON