In an unexpected revelation on Tuesday, Stephen Miller, the White House’s deputy chief of staff, cautiously acknowledged that border agents might have deviated from established procedures when they fatally shot ICU nurse Alex Pretti. Miller had earlier labeled Pretti an “assassin” and “domestic terrorist.”

Miller explained to The Post, “[T]he White House had issued explicit directives to the Department of Homeland Security. The additional personnel deployed to Minnesota were intended for force protection and to conduct fugitive operations, thereby establishing a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors.” He further noted, “We are currently investigating why the Customs and Border Protection team may have disregarded those instructions.”

This reversal by Miller emerged after significant bipartisan criticism surrounding the January 24 shooting of 37-year-old Pretti, marking the second fatal incident involving an anti-immigration enforcement demonstrator in Minnesota within 17 days.

An initial review by the DHS revealed that Pretti, armed with a loaded Sig Sauer pistol, along with an unidentified female companion, ignored “multiple verbal requests” to vacate the street. When CBP officers attempted to detain Pretti, he reportedly “resisted,” leading to a confrontation during which a Border Patrol agent urgently shouted, “He’s got a gun!”

Mere moments later, both a Border Patrol agent and a CBP officer discharged their firearms at Pretti. Footage capturing the incident shows at least ten shots were fired, though it remains uncertain whether Pretti’s own weapon was accidentally discharged.

Miller also claimed Tuesay that his initial disparaging remarks about Pretti — as well as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s claim that the victim “arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and kill law enforcement” — “was based on reports from CBP on the ground.”