SAINT LOUIS - The local chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) will host a vigil to honor Alex Pretti, a man who was killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last weekend.
At 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, community members will gather in front of John Cochran VA Hospital in St. Louis. The AFGE organization has organized a nationwide vigil, and St. Louis community members are invited to join the AFGE Local 96 chapter in St. Louis on Sunday.
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Pretti was a member of AFGE Local 3669 in Minneapolis. He worked as a VA Intensive Care Unit nurse.
Representatives from AFGE called for the vigil to honor “the life and selfless service” of Pretti, who they say was "tragically killed while defending a woman and exercising his First and Second Amendment rights.”
“Right now, we mourn. We grieve for this member, for their family, and for their coworkers. We owe them compassion, solidarity, and resolve. I urge everyone to remain disciplined and measured in public, even as we are rightly angry. Still, we must do what we can to maintain peace and calm,” AFGE National President Everett Kelly said. “But do not mistake restraint for acceptance. Accountability will come, and AFGE will not be silent about the policies and decisions that led us here.”
April Williams, president of AFGE Local 96 in St. Louis, echoed Kelly, adding that she hopes Pretti “rest[s] in power.”
“Alex Pretti’s service to our veterans will never be forgotten,” Williams said. “As we remember our union brother, we stand with our community and call for justice and accountability.”
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