On January 7, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot three times in the face while inside her vehicle by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis. The shooting has caused nationwide outrage, with many debating the details of the event. Some are sickened by the federal agent’s behavior, while others argue that the agent was justified since he acted in self-defense.
According to CBS News, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that Ross was hit by Good’s car and was taken to the hospital after the encounter due to “internal bleeding.” He was released the same day and has since returned to work.
President Donald Trump continues to deny claims that ICE has gone overboard and instead blames the fatal encounter on Good, labeling her a “radical leftist” and “domestic terrorist.” According to Fox 9, Trump claimed, “the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense.”
ABC News reports that in the video footage of Good’s murder, her vehicle is seen turning slowly away from Ross, and at no point was Ross run over. This creates a confusing narrative, with no one knowing for sure whether Ross was hit. However, if Ross was hit, he was still able to stand up and fire his weapon at Good, indicating that his life was not in immediate danger and debunking the “self-defense” narrative.
Good’s murder isn’t the only indication that ICE has gone too far. Recently, The Trace has reported 16 incidents in which ICE agents opened fire on someone and 15 in which agents held individuals at gunpoint. The Guardian has called 2025 “ICE’s deadliest year,” estimating that at least 32 people died in custody throughout the year.
To prevent further conflict and more deaths at the hands of federal agents, the Trump administration should significantly reduce the presence and authority of ICE. Instead, Trump, according to Reuters, sent an unprecedented number of ICE agents to Minnesota, escalating tensions and pushing the situation further out of control.
According to AP News, it is now common to see people booing, taunting, and blowing whistles at ICE agents in Minnesota. Making matters worse, there have been numerous incidents of ICE using eye irritants against protesters. Reports describe an incident in which a man was seen rubbing his eyes with snow and screaming for help after being sprayed with irritants by agents.
According to The Guardian, more than 2,400 people in Minnesota have been arrested in recent weeks following Good’s murder, including protesters last Sunday who were accused of disrupting a church service. In fact, this Friday, Minnesota labor unions, community leaders, and faith groups are hoping to bring attention to the crisis with an “economic blackout,” a protest event in which individuals refuse to go to work, school, or shops for the whole day.
The attacks from federal agents and the widespread protests should be a sign that ICE’s growing presence has only served to fuel violence and threaten the communities it is sworn to protect. Hopefully, officials will rethink their approach and soon recognize that ICE is causing more harm than good.
