Relatives of Renee Good, a Minnesota woman fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in January, have filed two federal wrongful death lawsuits against the agent involved and several top officials from the Trump administration. The suits were filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Minnesota and argue that Good's death was an unjustified use of deadly force during an immigration enforcement operation.
The lawsuits name ICE agent Jonathan Ross as the officer who shot Good and hold him accountable for placing himself in harm’s way by standing in front of her vehicle during a confrontation on January 7 near Good's home in south Minneapolis. One suit also names former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, former White House immigration policy adviser Stephen Miller, former immigration officials including Thomas D. Homan and Todd Lyons, as well as other senior administration figures. The family alleges the shooting was part of a broader campaign, known as Operation Metro Surge, targeting Somali and Hispanic communities in Minnesota with unconstitutional racial animus.
Good, a U.S. citizen, was shot inside her car after a brief altercation with federal agents during the surge, which involved thousands of immigration officers deployed to the state. Good’s wife, Becca Good, described the impact of her death during a news conference, saying her absence profoundly affects their three children and family life. Good’s brother, Brent Ganger, remarked on how the incident revealed feelings of insecurity and fear among white Americans that minority communities have long experienced.
The lawsuits contend that Ross’s actions violated ICE policies and the constitutional rights of Good, who was shot in the left temple from a 90-degree angle, suggesting the agent fired when he was not under an imminent threat. Attorneys representing the family argue that this undermines claims the shooting was justified and seek to overcome the legal immunities that typically protect federal agents from civil lawsuits related to use of force. One lawsuit invokes the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which provides for due process protections against abuses by officials.
Following the shooting, some Trump administration officials defended the use of deadly force, with Noem labeling Good a domestic terrorist and asserting the agent had to act in self-defense, stating she tried to run down the officer. However, no criminal charges have been filed against Ross, although the county attorney’s office in Minneapolis has indicated it is reviewing potential state-level charges. The U.S. Department of Justice declined to open a civil rights investigation into the shooting shortly after it occurred; instead, it launched a separate probe into Becca Good’s alleged affiliations with protest groups, the status of which remains unclear.
Operation Metro Surge itself drew criticism after Good’s death and another fatal shooting of a second U.S. citizen, Alex Pretti, by a Border Patrol agent weeks later. The surge involved multiple federal agencies, including ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations, and provoked confrontation with local protesters. The federal government announced plans to wind down the operation following the incidents.
The White House, the Department of Homeland Security, and ICE have not issued public statements in response to the lawsuits. The legal proceedings are ongoing.