ICE protest draws 120 in Richland amid Tri‑Cities anger over Minneapolis death

About 120 protesters rallied in frigid temperatures Sunday along George Washington Way in response to the weekend killing of Alex Pretti, a nurse in Minneapolis, by immigration agents.

“I think our country is in big trouble. Our federal leadership is lying to our faces, and I think we have to normalize dissent. It won’t stop there (Minneapolis),” said Peter Neorr of Richland, who was at the quickly-organized event with his wife Emma and sons Tyler, 15 and Corbin, 17, both students at Delta High School.

“It starts other places, and it’s going to end up here if it doesn’t stop sooner than that,” he said. “I am worried about violence in my town. It’s going to spread – that’s what I’m worried about.”

“We can’t just sit back and watch – we have to do something – we can’t just be quiet anymore about what ICE is going and what our government is letting and encouraging them to do. This is the second person they’ve murdered, first it was Rene and now with Alex, this has to stop,” said Shannon Hubbard of Richland.

“I have kids, and I’m worried for them with what is happening. People need to do something. They can’t wait until it’s affecting them because it’s affecting us all now, and it has to stop. We need to be good neighbors and take care of each other,” she said.

The protest was the second since Friday when some students walked out of classes in the Tri-Cities.

In Pasco, about 100 students from Pasco, Chiawana, Sageview and Delta high schools gathered on Court Street about noon and began marching east across the Highway 395 overpass and ending near the intersection with North 22nd Avenue.

While there have not been widespread ICE raids in the Tri-Cities area, there have been several documented cases of deportations.

On Sunday, Denise Mead of Richland was handing out whistles with information and a statewide number to text if someone needs help.

-Freelance photographer Scott Hunt contributed to this report.

This story was originally published January 25, 2026 at 6:58 PM.