Nurses hold vigil for Alex Pretti, call for accountability

Nurses gathered in Portland on Jan. 27 to honor Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old registered nurse who was fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. The vigil, organized by the Oregon Nurses Association and the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, brought together nurses and allies to mourn his death and demand accountability.

Nurses are ethically obligated to care for patients and to speak out when human rights are violated. ONA and OFNHP leaders said this ethical responsibility guided Pretti's actions and continues to guide nurses every day.

In the aftermath of Pretti's killing, ONA members have reported increasing fear and distress related to the presence of federal agents in healthcare settings, particularly at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland. Nurses warn that enforcement activity in hospitals undermines patient trust and creates unsafe conditions for patients, families and healthcare workers. Healthcare facilities must be places of healing and safety, not intimidation, the nurses say.

Nurses routinely witness how social and economic injustice harms health-how poverty becomes illness and how trauma becomes chronic disease. Their work goes beyond treating symptoms to advocating for conditions that allow patients and communities to thrive. Colleagues say Pretti responded to these realities as nurses are trained to do-by showing up and standing with those most at risk.

His death is a devastating loss for the patients he will never care for and a stark reminder of the dangers healthcare workers face when they speak out for dignity and human rights. It also exposes systemic failures that put patients and their caregivers in harm's way.

ONA and OFNHP stand in solidarity with immigrant communities, nurses and all frontline healthcare workers nationwide who are calling for an independent investigation and full accountability. Federal enforcement tactics that endanger lives and traumatize communities have no place in healthcare settings.

Union leaders said Pretti's legacy is a reminder that nursing is not only a profession but also a commitment to protect life, defend human rights, and speak out when those values are threatened.

[Adrienne Coles/ONA and OFNHP news releases]