The fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during a traffic confrontation on Jan. 7 has sparked protests across Minnesota and cities nationwide. The victim, Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mom, was shot inside her vehicle in a residential area south of downtown Minneapolis.
Videos taken by bystanders at the scene show ICE officers approaching the vehicle stopped horizontally in the middle of the road, ordering the driver to exit the vehicle.
The SUV appears to pull forward, and the officer in front of the vehicle fires three shots at close range, one in the windshield and two into the driver’s side window. The SUV then crashes into two parked cars, and Good was pronounced deceased after being brought to Hennepin County Medical Center.
One video shows that when the vehicle began to move after being ordered to stop, its wheels were pointed away from the officer in front of the car. Another video shows the officer’s feet positioned away from the vehicle while his upper body was pressed towards the car as it started to turn away. However, it remains unclear whether he was struck by the moving vehicle.
According to a press conference held hours after the incident, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated, “This vehicle was used to hit this officer; it was used as a weapon and the officer felt as though his life was in jeopardy. [The vehicle] was used to perpetuate a violent act and this officer [had to take] action to protect himself and to protect his fellow law enforcement officers.”
Many officials refute the claim that the agent was in danger, and instead committed an act of violence. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stated during a press conference following the incident, “To ICE, get the f*** out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety and you are doing exactly the opposite. People are being hurt. Families are being ripped apart.”
Later in the evening, President Donald Trump posted his reaction on X: “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.” He continued, “We need to stand by and protect our Law Enforcement Officers from this Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate!”
Despite the White House’s defense of the agent, the shooting has ignited widespread public outrage. In Minneapolis, rallies have drawn in hundreds chanting for justice and an end to what organizers are describing as militarized immigration policing. Demonstrators have also taken to the streets in Philadelphia, Atlanta and other major cities. Protestors have been speaking out against ICE’s use of aggressive tactics and demanding accountability for Good’s death.
Noem said on Jan. 11 that the government is sending additional federal agents to Minnesota to protect ICE agents and facilitate enforcement operations amid the rising tensions.