Bill Ackman Offers $10K to Alex Pretti's Campaign Weeks After Donating to ICE Agent Who Shot Renee Good

Pershing Square founder Bill Ackman has donated $10,000 (£7,248) to an online fundraiser for the family of Alex Pretti, who was tragically shot to death by an ICE immigration agent last week. Ackman donated via the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to a campaign titled 'Alex Pretti is an American Hero,' which has already raised over $1 million (£724,820) for Pretti's family.

Pretti was a 37-year-old ICU nurse in Minnesota and a US citizen who was tragically killed during a confrontation with ICE agents while he was documenting an enforcement action related to increased ICE aggression in the area. A viral clip showed he was first sprayed with chemicals, tackled by the agents, and shot multiple times in the back, which triggered massive protests nationwide. However, Ackman blamed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for Pretti's death.

'What is it about Minneapolis that the two tragic ICE shootings took place there within two or so weeks of each other? Could it really be a coincidence? It is almost as if the governor of Minnesota called for protesters to intervene in ICE enforcement actions in an incendiary manner?' he asked on the social media platform X.

'Inciting the people to rise up against law enforcement is guaranteed to end badly, and now we have seen the tragic consequences,' Ackman wrote, adding that Walz 'and those who emulate him' must 'take the temperature down before more lives are lost.'

Ackman Justifies Donation to ICE Agent Who Killed Renee Good

In early January, Ackman also donated $10,000 (£7,240) to a GoFundMe campaign that was created to support ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during a traffic stop in Minneapolis. She was a mother of three.

Ackman's donation to Ross drew sharp criticism on social media. His move prompted people on the internet to call for a boycott of the fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle, which had Pershing Square as an investor nearly 10 years ago.

However, the company appeared to distance itself from Ackman by stating that the hedge fund manager is 'not affiliated with Chipotle' since Pershing Square divested its entire stake in the chain by the end of 2025.

At the same time, Ackman defended his donation to the ICE agent on X, stating that the funds were meant to cover potential legal costs Ross might face. Ackman added that he is a 'strong proponent of the legal principle that one is innocent until proven guilty,' and that his donation was not meant as a political statement.

Furthermore, the hedge fund manager also said he planned to support a fundraiser for Good's family, but could not do so because the campaign had already closed when he wanted to contribute.

'The whole situation is a tragedy. An officer doing his best to do his job, and a protester who likely did not intend to kill the officer but whose actions in a split second led to her death,' Ackman said about the incident in a separate X post.

Elsewhere, GoFundMe is also facing backlash as its terms of service do not allow raising money for the legal defence of individuals accused of violent crimes. Overall, social media users think Ackman is working on damage control after taking both sides.