WASHINGTON – The fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal immigration agent has heightened partisan tensions in Congress and led to Democratic demands for investigations and even the impeachment of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem.
The video of the deadly shooting of Good, a 37-year-old mother, in a Minneapolis neighborhood by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, was scrutinized by thousands of journalists and millions of Americans and made headlines around the globe.
But in the United States, the shooting was seen through a political lens, provoking an emotional response in Congress that has led to a sharp increase in partisan enmity and even a few confrontations.
Republicans, including those in Minnesota’s congressional delegation, praised the work of ICE and some, including those representing the state, blamed the shooting on “hateful” and “dangerous” speech by Democratic politicians who condemn the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Related: Our visual coverage of the ICE crackdown and aftermath in Minneapolis
Democrats, meanwhile, echoed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s demand that ICE leave the Twin Cities.
“President Trump, Secretary Noem, hear me loud and clear: ICE must leave Minnesota – NOW,” Rep. Angie Craig, D-2nd District, said in a statement.
The sharp divide has resulted in some clashes.
On Wednesday, the day Good was killed, Craig approached Rep. Tom Emmer, R-6th District, on the House floor. According to a source close to the congresswoman, Craig accused Emmer of “political stunts” in defending ICE operations and discuss Emmer’s reaction to Good’s shooting.
During a Wednesday hearing by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Emmer said Minnesota Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz; Sens. Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar; Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-5th District; and Craig had done nothing about the fraud.
After ICE shooting, partisan responses
And after Good’s shooting, Emmer was quick to put out a statement that said: “Our brave ICE agents put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities from dangerous criminals.”
“May God bless and protect them in their efforts,” Emmer said. “Shame on the elected officials who endanger these agents by spewing lies and hateful rhetoric.”
There was lots of shouting and finger pointing during Craig’s confrontation with Emmer, attracting the attention of a couple of members of the House Sergeant of Arms office, which is tasked with keeping decorum on the House floor. That’s when Rep. Betty McCollum, D-4th District, stepped in to break things up.
Meanwhile, House Homeland Security Committee Democrats are demanding that the panel’s Republican majority call Noem – who was in Minneapolis the evening of the shooting – to testify about the shooting. Noem said it was the result of “domestic terrorism” and that the shooter, now identified as ICE agent Jonathan Ross, was in fear for his life.
Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the committee, sent the chairman of the panel, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., a letter on Thursday demanding a hearing.
Related: Yes, state and local prosecutors can charge federal law enforcement agents with crimes. But it isn’t easy
“Contrary to Secretary Noem’s press statements, there has been no evidence shared that would justify Ms. Good’s killing,” Thompson’s letter said. “The perpetrator must be held accountable, and Secretary Noem must answer for this shooting as well as other recent acts of violence by her officers and agents.”
Garbarino responded that “the FBI is actively investigating Wednesday’s shooting, and the results of that investigation will be reviewed by this committee,” and did not agree to a hearing that would grill Noem about Good’s shooting.
Meanwhile, Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., said Thursday that she plans to file articles of impeachment against Noem. While it’s doubtful there will be such an inquiry in the GOP-controlled House, things could change if Democrats win back control of the House in November.
More ICE shootings
According to the New York Times, Good’s shooting was at least the ninth immigration-enforcement related shooting since September. And all shooting victims were targeted while in their vehicles.
Then two shootings happened Thursday in Portland, Oregon, when a Border Patrol agent shot a man and woman – also in a car. Echoing what she said about the Good shooting, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the agent “fired defensive shots” after the driver of the car tried to run the agents over.
Another incident that roiled congressional Democrats – and DFLers in the state – was the apparent reversal of Homeland Security to coordinate with the state on an investigation of the shooting. The department said the FBI would go it alone.
On X Thursday, Frey said Noem “doesn’t want an impartial investigation because she knows her narrative about domestic terrorism is bullshit.”
And during a press conference on Thursday, Walz also blasted the decision to cut Minnesota law enforcement from the investigation.
“I want to make this as clear as possible to everyone. Minnesota must be a part of this,” Walz said. “I think it’s clear to everyone … that it feels now that Minnesota has been taken out of the investigation. It feels very, very difficult that we will get a fair outcome.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is weighing a run for governor after Walz announced Monday that he will not seek re-election, also weighed in.
“The FBI must work with the professionals at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation of the shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer yesterday,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “This has to be about justice, not politics.”
Senate votes to limit Trump’s war powers
With the help of five Republicans, the Senate on Thursday advanced a bill that would curb President Donald Trump’s warfighting authority.
The 52-47 vote was the first time Congress has tried to restrain Trump’s use of military power. Two similar resolutions – considered by the U.S. House before U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and before Trump said the United States would “run” Venezuela – were defeated.
Most Republicans support Trump’s plans on Venezuela, which includes transferring the vast reserves of that nation’s oil to U.S. oil companies. But there are concerns about escalating threats to use force against other nations, including Denmark, which has control of Greenland.
Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith voted with all Democrats for the resolution. So did Republican Sens. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
Trump reacted angrily to the defections, attacking the five Republican lawmakers by name in a post on Truth Social and saying they should never be elected to office again.
In other news:
▪️Here is our package of stories from the ICE shooting in Minneapolis:
- The AP’s immediate nuts-and-bolts account.
- Trevor Mitchell’s report on a vigil in Minneapolis.
- Brian Arola’s account of a vigil in Mankato and other Greater Minnesota towns.
- An AP story on the shooting victim, 37-year-old Renee Good.
- Matthew Blake’s reaction from public officials.
- Shadi Bushra’s explainer on calls for a local investigation into the shooting.
▪️And some more stories from D.C.:
- We covered a congressional hearing into fraud allegations in Minnesota’s social services program.
- We also took a look at potential cuts in Minnesota’s food stamp program if certain demands from the Trump administration aren’t met.
- And we shared an AP story on Trump administration plans to withhold money from five states, including Minnesota, over fraud allegations.
▪️And some related political news:
- We wrote about Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to drop out of the governor’s race, why he might have done so and the possibility that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (and other Democrats) could jump into the campaign.
This and that
A reader reacted to President Donald Trump’s reposting of a video on Truth Social of someone falsely insinuating that Gov. Tim Walz was involved in the assassination of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband and to other controversies sparked by the Trump administration.
“Trump blaming Walz for the Hortman assassination shows how vicious he is,” the reader wrote. “That media stories are not mentioning this as part of the reason Walz dropped out is disappointing. Trump’s lies about Somalis being responsible for most crime that are echoed by Emmer are disturbing. What next? Deporting US citizens? Concentration camps? These attacks on Minnesota and Trump’s other perceived enemies like [Sen.] Mark Kelly should not go unchallenged.”
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