Alex Pretti killing marks a grim turning point for American democracy

Vox argues that the January 24 killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis exposes a shift toward brutal, overt repression and a new era of authoritarian tactics in the United States, contrasting two pathways to authoritarianism—subtle legal power grabs and naked violence—and warning that Washington’s response to street protests will determine whether democracy endures; the piece calls for accountability for agents and questions the government’s handling of ICE deployments.