The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis has sparked mass protests, political backlash, and renewed scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement. But despite mounting outrage and calls from city leaders for ICE to leave, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made clear that operations will continue.
When asked directly whether ICE would pause operations following the shooting, Noem was unequivocal. “No,” she said. “We’re still out on the streets.”
Good was shot and killed on Wednesday during an ICE operation in south Minneapolis. While authorities have not formally released the victim’s name, she was identified by her family. Her mother, Donna Ganger, confirmed to the Minnesota Star Tribune that Renee lived in the Twin Cities with her partner and that the family was notified of her death late Wednesday morning.
The incident occurred amid what the Department of Homeland Security described as a large-scale immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Video footage of the shooting has since surfaced, intensifying debate over whether the agent acted in self-defense or used excessive force.
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What Kristi Noem Says Happened
Speaking at a press conference flanked by law enforcement officials, Noem laid out the federal government’s account of events, repeatedly defending the ICE agent’s actions.
“At 10:25 a.m. Central Time, Immigration and Customs Enforcement were carrying out lawful operations here in Minneapolis,” Noem said. She claimed that due to heavy snow, one ICE vehicle became stuck, and agents were attempting to move it when they were surrounded.
“When a mob of agitators that were harassing them all day began blocking them in, shouting at them, and impeding law enforcement operations,” she said, ICE officers approached Good’s vehicle, which she accused of blocking officers and obstructing their work.
Noem alleged that agents repeatedly ordered Good to exit her vehicle and stop obstructing law enforcement, but that she refused. “She then proceeded to weaponize her vehicle, and she attempted to run a law enforcement officer over,” Noem said. “This appears as an attempt to kill or to cause bodily harm to agents — an act of domestic terrorism.”
According to Noem, the ICE agent fired after fearing for his life and the safety of others. “The ICE officer, fearing for his life and the other officers around him and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots,” she said. “He used his training to save his own life and that of his colleagues.”
Noem also emphasized that the officer was treated at a local hospital and later released.
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Noem Responds to Mayor Jacob Frey
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has sharply criticized the federal response, publicly disputing claims of self-defense and calling on ICE to leave the city. After reviewing video footage, Frey dismissed the official narrative in blunt terms.
Noem responded forcefully to Frey’s remarks. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” she said. “It’s very clear that this individual was harassing and impeding law enforcement operations. This officer followed his training, did exactly what he’s been taught to do in that situation.”
Addressing the legality of the shooting, Noem doubled down on the justification for deadly force. “It’s clearly established law that a vehicle driven by a person and used to harm someone is a deadly weapon,” she said. “Deadly force is perfectly lawful when a threat is faced by a weapon.”
Frey, however, has called the federal explanation “garbage,” saying video evidence contradicts claims that Good attempted to harm officers.
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What the Video and Witnesses Show
Video footage reviewed by media outlets shows ICE agents approaching an SUV stopped in the roadway. As one agent attempts to open the door, Good reverses slightly and then accelerates forward. Another agent fires multiple rounds at close range into the windshield. The vehicle continues down the street before crashing into a parked car.
One bullet struck Good in the head, killing her. It remains unclear from the footage whether the vehicle made contact with any ICE agent.
Witnesses living along Portland Avenue have rejected the federal account. A local resident told the Star Tribune that Good appeared to be trying to leave, not attack.
“Somebody was trying to pull her out of her car. She was just trying to get away,” the witness said, adding there was “plenty of room” for the vehicle to drive off without endangering anyone.
The shooting is now under investigation by the FBI, with a separate probe launched by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension into the ICE agent’s use of deadly force.
