Editor's note: Anthony Moretti, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate professor at the Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership at Robert Morris University in the U.S. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of either CGTN or Robert Morris University.

Another shooting. Another victim. Another violent crackdown. And another sign of the erosion of American society.

The fallout continues after the killing of Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on January 24 in Minneapolis, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Pretti was among the many Minnesota residents protesting the ongoing operation designed to identify and arrest anyone living in the state illegally.

Seeing the furor that followed Pretti's death, U.S. President Donald Trump extended what could be interpreted as an olive branch, saying there could be a "more relaxed" approach by agents patrolling Minneapolis.

But Tom Homan, the so-called border czar, said nothing can change until there is "cooperation" from local and state officials and an end to "the hateful rhetoric and the impediment and interference" to operations seeking to arrest illegal immigrants.

Cooperation? That might happen because no responsible leader wants another American protester to die. But an end to the hateful rhetoric? Only the most naive person would envision that scenario. That is because the distrust of law enforcement officers engaged in rounding up people cannot be easily changed.

Any drawdown in the number of officers in Minneapolis will not be enough to tamp down the anger in Minnesota and across the country. The removal of Gregory Bovino, who led the effort to find illegal immigrants in Minneapolis, will not be enough. Likewise, the decision to put the officers who killed Pretti on leave will not ease tensions.

In addition, Homan's public admission that the operation that led to Pretti's death was not carried out perfectly will not calm the anxiety.

Why? Because what ails America right now cannot be solved by verbal promises or public apologies. There needs to be a radical adjustment in the diminishing confidence many have in law enforcement. Closely related to this, the country's many immigrant communities must first see and then begin to believe that they will not be targeted simply because of the color of their skin.

Immigrants from one South American country lamented that they fled terror in their home country only to find it again in the U.S.; unwilling to risk arrest and deportation, they choose to stay indoors as much as possible. And in one U.S. state, immigrants say they have done everything possible to ensure that if they are arrested, their young children will have guardians to care for them.

Immigrants are vital to the U.S. economy. According to the American Immigration Council, immigrants contributed roughly $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy while paying roughly $650 billion in taxes in calendar year 2023. If the nearly 48 million immigrants were a state, then only California, New York, Texas and Florida would be more valuable to the nation's financial well-being than their economic contributions.

Looking deeper at the economy, whether the federal government envisioned that a crackdown would damage the U.S. economy and lead to heightened concerns in consumer confidence is irrelevant. What is relevant is that a weaker economy and a decline in consumer confidence are real.

Consumer confidence dropped to a level not seen in almost 12 years, a sure sign that worries about ongoing tariffs and public unease about the direction the U.S. is heading are worrying people all over the country.

If the White House wants to stifle the economy, damage consumer confidence and scare even legal immigrants, then, yes, its harsh immigration policies are working. And if the senseless death of American citizens like Pretti, who were protesting against the government, is also part of that strategy, then serious reflection by public officials and citizens is overdue.

Logic, often in short supply in Washington, suggests that the U.S. would be wise to change course and rhetoric about the immigrant experience. Sadly, no one anticipates that happening.

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