In the days before Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent in South Minneapolis, Minnesota Republican leaders and Donald Trump amplified false claims about Minnesotans that were used to justify a dangerous federal enforcement surge, deploying thousands of ICE agents to Minnesota in an unprecedented capacity. This fact sheet documents the misinformation leading up to and following the murder of Renee Nicole Good, and what verified evidence shows about Trump’s attacks on Minnesota. 

1. The Video and Its Role in Federal Escalation

• Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth coordinated directly with right-wing online agitator Nick Shirley to produce and promote a video attacking Minnesotans and our immigrant communities.
• The video contained multiple allegations that have since been debunked.
• These false claims were used as justification for a large-scale federal enforcement surge in Minnesota.
• Donald Trump ordered the deployment of approximately 2,000 ICE agents to Minnesota, which federal officials described as the largest ICE deployment in U.S. history.
• Local leaders including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara publicly warned that the operation was reckless and could lead to someone being killed.

2. Reality of ICE Enforcement in Minnesota

• Federal officials claimed the ICE surge was necessary to target “dangerous criminals.”
• In reality, approximately 670 Minnesotans have been detained by ICE during this operation, and none were found to have criminal records. 

3. The Killing of Renee Nicole Good

• One day after the federal surge began, Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent.
• She was shot at close range, including shots fired through the open window of her vehicle as she attempted to leave the scene.
• Video evidence shows that ICE officers were not in immediate danger at the time lethal force was used.

4. False Statements by Federal Officials

Before Renee Nicole Good’s identity was publicly known: 

• The Department of Homeland Security labeled her a “domestic terrorist.”
• Donald Trump falsely claimed that she “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over an ICE officer” and stated that “it’s hard to believe he’s still alive.”
• Independent investigations by national news outlets, including The New York Times, and The Washington Post reviewed video footage of the encounter.

• These investigations determined that ICE officers were not in danger at the time Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed. 

5. ICE Use-of-Force Policy

• ICE use-of-force policy restricts the use of firearms against moving or fleeing vehicles, permitting such force only in extremely limited circumstances.
• The policy exists because shooting at vehicles poses a high risk to bystanders and is unlikely to stop a moving vehicle.
• The circumstances of Renee Nicole Good’s killing appear inconsistent with these guidelines. 

6. Actions Following the Killing

• Following the shooting, CBP official Greg Bovino treated the scene as a public photo opportunity.
• Bovino then deployed BORTAC, a counter-terrorism tactical unit, to Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis.
• There, Federal agents:
  • Smashed a vehicle window
  • Used chemical agents on civilians
  • Tackled individuals and handcuffed two school staff members
• As a result, Minneapolis Public Schools closed for the remainder of the week.

7. Obstruction of the State Investigation

• Federal authorities are now obstructing Minnesota’s criminal investigation into Renee Nicole Good’s killing.
• This raises serious concerns about the credibility and independence of any investigation involving agencies that have already made false public statements.

8. Minnesota Republicans are Siding Against Minnesotans 

• Rep. Pete Stauber accused Gov. Walz of using the National Guard to wage Civil War
• Rep. Tom Emmer called the Star Tribune “evil” for reporting about the shooter
• No Republican leader has acknowledged that:
  • The enforcement surge was based on misinformation
  • Hundreds of Minnesotans have been detained despite having no criminal records, including citizens
  • Renee’s death is the result of unnecessary and predictably dangerous tactics
  • Minnesota children can’t go to school because of the threat from their federal government

Why This Matters

• Misinformation was not incidental, in fact it directly preceded and justified a dangerous escalation.
• False official statements by Trump and his administration shaped public perception before facts were known.
• Federal interference now threatens accountability and justice.
• Minnesota communities, families, and students are paying the price for Trump and Republicans’ violent, chaotic and unprofessional enforcement strategy. 

January 9 Update: New Video Evidence 

• Newly released video footage from the phone of the ICE officer who killed Renee Nicole Good provides additional evidence contradicting federal officials’ public claims.
• The footage records Renee Nicole Good de-escalating the situation, verbally acknowledging the officer and turning her vehicle away from him, not toward him.
• The video further documents that after shooting Renee Nicole Good in the face three times, the ICE officer is heard referring to her as a “fucking bitch.”
• This footage directly undermines earlier claims by the Department of Homeland Security and Donald Trump that Renee Nicole Good posed an imminent or violent threat to ICE officers.

January 10 Update: Congressional Oversight Blocked at Fort Snelling

• On January 10, three Minnesota members of Congress, Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison, and Angie Craig, were barred from entering an ICE detention facility at Fort Snelling while attempting to conduct official oversight.
• Federal officials cited reasons for denying entry that lack legal basis under federal law, which explicitly permits members of Congress to access detention facilities for oversight purposes.
• Blocking lawful congressional oversight raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and potential misconduct within ICE detention operations in Minnesota.

January 12 Update: American Indians detained by ICE

• At least four American Indians have been detained by ICE. 
• These detentions demonstrate that ICE’s actions are motivated by racial profiling, not immigration status.

January 12 Update: Minnesota files lawsuit against ICE

• The State of Minnesota, along with Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration and the Department of Homeland Security seeking to block the ongoing ICE enforcement surge.
• The lawsuit argues that the unprecedented deployment of federal agents violates federal law, undermines public safety, and exceeds federal authority.
• State and local officials cite the killing of Renee Nicole Good, disruption to schools and communities, and lack of coordination with local governments as central to their claims.

January 13 Update: Federal Escalation Continues

• The Department of Homeland Security announced that 1,000 additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are being sent to Minnesota to join the approximately 2,000 federal immigration officers and agents already deployed in the state

January 13 Update: Federal Investigation in Crisis

• Reporting by MS NOW reveals that multiple senior officials in the DOJ Civil Rights Division resigned after department leadership refused to properly investigate the ICE agent’s killing of Renee Nicole Good.
• Civil rights prosecutors were excluded from the investigation, despite normally handling federal use-of-force cases involving civilian deaths.
• The investigation has instead been routed through the FBI alone, while Minnesota authorities have been denied access to evidence.
• These resignations raise serious concerns that the federal investigation is politically compromised.

January 13 Update: Federal Investigation Crisis Worsening

• The New York Times is reporting that three Minnesota federal prosecutors have resigned in protest of how the DOJ is handling the aftermath of an ICE agent’s killing of Renee Nicole Good.
• Joseph Thompson, the second in command at the Minnesota US attorney’s office, reportedly resigned after being pressured to investigate the widow of Renee Nicole Good.
• Thompson also disagreed with DOJ’s decision to cut Minnesota officials out of the investigation of the shooting.

January 14 Update: Second Federal Shooting in Minneapolis

• On the evening of January 14, 2026, another person was shot by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis, marking the second shooting in the city in one week involving a federal officer.