NDNA statement on the shooting of Alex Pretti

For Immediate Release: Protect nurses, patients, and our communities. Demand truth for Alex Pretti.

The North Dakota Nurses Association works hard to ensure that nurses are protected in the workplace and their rights are upheld but there is still much work to be done, as nurses’ duties to society extend beyond the workplace. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has brought forth the following call to action for all nurses.

“Alex Pretti, a registered nurse, was killed in a horrifying shooting at the hands of federal immigration enforcement. Alex's life mattered, and the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the North Dakota Nurses Association denounces this killing and the circumstances surrounding it.

As an ICU nurse, Alex chose a profession devoted to caring for others at their most vulnerable. Nurses have an ethical and professional duty to care for all patients, regardless of background or immigration status. According to provision 9.3 of the Code of Ethics for Nurses, "It is the shared responsibility of all people and nurses in particular to articulate and advance the notions of good and health within a society. Nursing has a vision for a good society that arises from the values at the core of the profession. A good society is one that treats everyone with respect and dignity, balances justice and compassion, and regards humanity without hierarchy. Nursing strives to create and maintain a good society that supports the opportunity for its members to coexist and flourish."

In his final moments, it appeared Alex was providing compassionate care to an individual from the community who was on the ground. Subsequently, he was killed.

ANA refuses to normalize violence and fear, regardless of who perpetuates it, both in professional care settings and within our communities. When policies threaten safety, access to care, and the public's trust, nurses have an ethical duty to speak out and demand change.

We ask all nurses to visit RNAction.org to send a letter to your members of Congress. Let them know that nurses demand immediate action:

• An independent and transparent investigation into Alex Pretti's killing.
• A full reform of the administration's strategy that places federal immigration enforcement in our communities.
• An immediate end to federal immigration enforcement efforts that impede a safe workplace environment and/or breach of HIPAA requirements, and the ability to provide care in all healthcare settings.
• No further funding of federal immigration enforcement activities until there are robust hearings and congressional oversight of the conduct of federal immigration enforcement officers within our communities and care settings.

ANA has launched an RNAction campaign to protect nurses, patients, and our communities and to demand truth for Alex Pretti, a registered nurse, who was killed by federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis this weekend. ANA and the North Dakota Nurses Association (NDNA) denounce his killing. You can find our campaign live on RNAction here” (ANA, 2026).

Additional ethical obligations from the ANA Code of Ethics

Nurses are ethically bound to protect and defend human life. The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses explicitly affirms this responsibility. Provision 8.2 states:

“Where there are human rights violations, nurses ought to and must stand up for those rights and demand accountability” (ANA, 2025a, para. 1).

Further reinforcing this duty, Provision 9.1 emphasizes the nursing profession’s collective responsibility to uphold human dignity and oppose dehumanization:

“Nurses and professional nursing organizations condemn dehumanization in all its forms while simultaneously affirming the intrinsic dignity of all people through advocacy and allyship. This ethical duty is enacted through intentional interventions and support to eliminate harmful acts, words, and deeds. Nurses create spaces that amplify voices not traditionally heard, recognized, or welcomed, fostering a culture that respects all persons. Nursing values extend beyond individual careers, underscoring the profession’s collective impact on societal well-being” (ANA, 2025b, para. 2).

Additionally, Provision 9.1 highlights the importance of civic engagement, stating:

“Individual civic engagement and nursing’s civic professionalism embody nursing’s covenant and affirm the mutual expectations and responsibilities between nursing and society” (ANA, 2025c, para. 1).

In keeping with nurses’ moral and ethical obligation to protect the public, the NDNA urges North Dakota nurses to raise their voices and demand accountability for this horrific act.

Dr. Penny Briese, PhD, MS, BSN, RN, CHSE

Interim Executive Director and

Director of Advocacy

North Dakota Nurses Association

President Elect

North Dakota Center for Nursing

Resources

ANA. (2026). Demand truth for Alex Pretti. https://ana.quorum.us/campaign/demandtruthforalex/

ANA. (2025a). Code of ethics. Provision 8. Nurses build collaborative relationships and networks with nurses, other healthcare and non-healthcare disciplines, and the public to achieve greater ends. 8.2. Collaboration to uphold human rights, mitigate health disparities, and achieve health equity. https://codeofethics.ana.org/provision-8-2

ANA. (2025b). Code of ethics. Provision 9. Nurses and their professional organizations work to enact and resource practices, policies, and legislation to promote social justice, eliminate health inequities, and facilitate human flourishing.9.1. Assertion of nursing values. https://codeofethics.ana.org/provision-9-1#:~:text=9.1%20Assertion%20of%20Nursing%20Values&text=The%20need%20for%20and%20right,social%20justice%20and%20global%20health.

ANA. (2025c). Code of ethics. Provision 9. Nurses and their professional organizations work to promote social justice, eliminate health inequities, and facilitate human flourishing. 9.2. Commitment to Society. https://codeofethics.ana.org/provision-9-2#:~:text=9.2%20Commitment%20to%20Society&text=Nurses%20are%20trusted%20to%20provide,allyship%20to%20create%20just%20systems.