A white American woman was shot dead by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday, leading to widespread outrage and condemnation in the country.
The woman, identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a poet, mother of three and resident of Minneapolis, died after she was shot by an ICE agent during a large immigration operation. Trump administration’s officials have given conflicting accounts of what happened.
Good was an American-born citizen originally from Colorado, described online as a “poet and writer and wife and mom” who was not known to have a criminal history.
The incident occurred on a residential street where a group of ICE officers were attempting to carry out targeted actions.
Federal officials claim Good’s vehicle threatened officers, alleging she attempted to use it as a weapon. They defended the shooting as “self-defence.”
However, video footage and eyewitness statements show Good in her SUV appearing to move away from agents when one officer fired at close range, hitting her in the head or face.
Reactions
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey issued an unusually blunt response following the fatal shooting, rejecting federal claims that the killing was an act of self-defence.
“To ICE, get the f**k out of Minneapolis,” Frey told reporters during a press conference on Wednesday.
After viewing video footage, he said the official explanation was “bullsh*t”.
The mayor accused ICE of bringing chaos into residential neighbourhoods.
He said federal raids undermine trust, frighten communities and make cities less safe.
Frey added that Minneapolis did not consent to ICE operations conducted on its streets, and demanded the immediate withdrawal of federal immigration agents from the city.
Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also condemned the killing in strong terms, describing the shooting as “unconscionable and reprehensible”.
Omar said she was “beyond outraged” that ICE actions led to a civilian’s death and accused federal authorities of lying about the circumstances of the shooting.
“You’re lying. There was no attempt to run the officer over,” she wrote on X.
Broader ICE crackdown
This tragic murder comes amid several controversial ICE actions and detentions linked to political speech and pro-Palestinian activism.
Many have argued President Trump has weaponised US immigration officers to silent dissent and censor opposition.
British political commentator Sami Hamdi was detained by ICE in late 2025 while on a speaking tour in the US, in what civil liberties groups said was retaliation for his criticism of America support for Israel.
His visa was revoked and he was held by immigration authorities for over two weeks before returning to the UK.
Similarly, Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian protester arrested in March 2025 after overstaying, has spent more than nine months in ICE detention.
Lawyers say the government has used procedural tactics to keep her detained, despite rulings that she was eligible for release.
Advocates frame her case as part of a broader suppression of pro-Palestine voices.
(Christopher Juhn – Anadolu Agency)
Critics say these cases show political pressure and anti-dissent biases within immigration enforcement, pointing to the targeting of activists and critics of government policy. ICE’s enforcement operations have also been criticised for disproportionately affecting non-white minority communities.
Minneapolis, with a large Somali Muslim population, has seen heightened tensions as federal agents carry out raids amid ongoing Islamaphobic and racist rhetoric from President Trump and other senior US about Somalia, fraud and illegal immigration.
Consequences
Legal experts say holding federal officers accountable for use of lethal force is complex, given broad immunities and the political nature of immigration enforcement.
Federal and state authorities are investigating the Minneapolis shooting, including video evidence and eyewitness testimonies.
The incident has sparked further debates over ICE’s role in American cities far from the US-Mexico border.
Opponents argue these actions undermine trust in law enforcement and erode civil liberties, while supporters of stricter immigration policy defend aggressive measures as necessary for national security and illegal immigration.
Good’s unexpected death has prompted calls for independent investigation and civil rights lawsuits, with advocates framing the incident as symptomatic of deeper issues within immigration enforcement.
