Individual liberty is what separates Americans from the rest of the world. Securing the border does not require or allow for abandoning those principles. The death of Alex Pretti underscores the importance of maintaining balance.
We support the full, unapologetic exercise of natural human liberties, as protected by the Constitution. Even more so when their expression is offensive or unpopular.
We reject the idea that these liberties must be suspended to restore order.
We support legal immigration, enforcement of immigration law, and the preservation of national sovereignty.
We demand transparency, accountability, and restraint from federal agencies entrusted with immense power.
The killing of Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, during a federal immigration enforcement operation is a tragedy that warrants careful scrutiny and serious reflection on the limits of government power. Instead, many have taken to reflexive tribal responses that willfully ignore the complexities of the situation.
Free speech and peaceful assembly are inherent human liberties. They do not originate with the state and do not depend on government approval. Americans have the unquestionable right to protest federal policy, to express uncompromising views on immigration, and to assemble peaceably - even when those views are unpopular, disruptive, or sharply critical of authority. Likewise, the right to keep and bear arms is a natural right of self-defense that government is bound to respect.
At the same time, a sovereign nation has the right and obligation to enforce its immigration laws and to prioritize the safety and continuity of its citizens. We believe in a nation that welcomes and encourages legal immigration by people who want to work, assimilate, contribute, and become part of the American civic and cultural fabric.
These principles are not mutually exclusive.
The circumstances surrounding Alex Pretti’s death raise serious questions about the use of force by federal agents and the degree to which the rights of American citizens were respected during the operation. Publicly available information suggests the situation escalated rapidly and with fatal consequences that many view as avoidable. Such concerns merit transparency, restraint, and an honest accounting of what occurred.
The rule of law demands that government actors operate within clear boundaries and remain accountable for the exercise of force. That accountability is not a presumption of guilt, but a requirement of legitimacy. A government that expects compliance with the law must itself be scrupulously bound by it.
Recognizing that enforcement actions can unfold in tense and unpredictable environments does not excuse outcomes that appear disproportionate or unnecessary. A free society does not ask its citizens to surrender their rights or accept irreversible harm as collateral damage of policy enforcement.
America can be a nation of laws and a nation of liberty. It must be both. Securing the border and upholding the Constitution are not competing goals and we should refuse any framing that treats them as such.