Minneapolis has once again become the focus of national outrage after a woman was fatally shot by a federal immigration agent during an enforcement operation, triggering protests and renewed comparisons to past police-involved killings in the city.
Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed at close range on Wednesday during an operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Twin Cities area. Although authorities have not formally released her identity, Good was identified by her family. Her mother confirmed to local media that she lived in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area with her partner.
Conflicting Accounts Over Self-Defense Claim
The Department of Homeland Security has said the ICE agent acted in self-defense. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism,” alleging that the woman attempted to ram agents with her vehicle.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey forcefully rejected that account after reviewing video footage.
“That is bullsh**,” Frey said, calling the self-defense claim “garbage.”
Videos from the scene show masked federal agents approaching an SUV stopped in the roadway. As one agent attempted to open the vehicle door, the driver began reversing.
Another agent near the front of the SUV drew a firearm as the vehicle moved forward and fired multiple shots into the windshield. One round struck Good in the head, killing her. It remains unclear whether the vehicle made contact with the agent.
Police Chief Says No Evidence of Threat
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara later said there was no indication the woman was attempting to harm officers.
“This woman was in her vehicle and was blocking the roadway,” O’Hara said. “The vehicle began to drive off. At least two shots were fired. The vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”
The shooting occurred about a mile from the intersection where George Floyd was murdered by police in 2020, an event that sparked global protests and reshaped national debates over policing and accountability.
🚨 BREAKING: New angle from the ICE involved shooting in Minneapolis shows the woman CLEARLY hitting the agent with her car before he fires at her
A vehicle is a deadly weapon. And she used that deadly weapon against an agent.
Self-defense. pic.twitter.com/kw3SbBzSrP
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 7, 2026
Protests Erupt as ICE Presence Condemned
News of the killing drew crowds of protesters to the scene and later to the Minneapolis courthouse. Demonstrators chanted “ICE out of Minnesota” and “Shame! Shame! Shame!” as tensions escalated.
Mayor Frey called for ICE to withdraw from the city entirely.
“What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust,” he said. “They’re ripping families apart, sowing chaos on our streets, and in this case, quite literally killing people.”
Community leaders warned the incident would deepen fear among immigrant families already on edge following DHS’s announcement of a large-scale enforcement operation involving up to 2,000 agents across Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Trump Defends ICE Agent as Investigations Begin
President Donald Trump defended the ICE agent, calling the video of the shooting “horrible to watch” but asserting it appeared to be self-defense.
“The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, alleging she attempted to run over the officer.
The incident is now under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, while the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is conducting a separate review of the use of deadly force.
Immigration Crackdown Raises Tensions Nationwide
The killing marks a sharp escalation amid renewed immigration enforcement under the Trump administration and is at least the fifth fatality linked to immigration operations nationwide since 2024, according to reports.
For many in Minneapolis, the shooting has reopened wounds left by past tragedies and reignited calls for greater accountability over federal law enforcement actions in American cities.
