Family of Renee Good Sues ICE Agent and Trump Officials Over January Shooting

The family of Renee Good filed two federal lawsuits Thursday against the ICE agent who shot her and several Trump administration officials. Good, a 37-year-old US citizen and mother of three, was killed by ICE officer Jonathan Ross on January 7 during Operation Metro Surge, a major immigration enforcement sweep in Minneapolis. The lawsuits seek damages for wrongful death and allege a conspiracy to interfere with civil rights targeting Somali and Hispanic residents.

What the lawsuits allege

One lawsuit names the United States government and claims ICE officer Jonathan Ross violated the Fourth Amendment and mandatory DHS use-of-force policies that prohibit shooting at moving vehicles. The complaint states agents rendered no aid to Good after shooting her and turned away a physician who offered to help. The second lawsuit names eight individual defendants including Ross, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and border tsar Tom Homan, alleging they conspired to target Minnesotans of Somali and Hispanic descent.

How the shooting happened

On January 7, Good was in her car during an ICE and Border Patrol operation in Minneapolis when officer Ross approached her vehicle. Video evidence shows Good steering her car away from the agent as she tried to drive away. Federal officials initially claimed she had weaponized her vehicle, but multiple video clips contradicted that account. Ross shot Good several times in her car.

The legal framework and broader impact

The wrongful death lawsuit cites the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows citizens to sue the government for personal injury or death caused by federal employee negligence. The second lawsuit invokes the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, a rare legal tool typically used to combat conspiracy and civil rights violations. These lawsuits represent some of the first major civil litigation actions filed against Trump’s deportation campaign in Minnesota. Good’s death and that of Alex Pretti, an American nurse shot by an immigration agent two weeks later, sparked nationwide protests and led at least 10 prosecutors to resign.

Family’s statement and next steps

Becca Good, Renee’s partner who witnessed the shooting, spoke publicly for the first time Thursday at a news conference. She said the family was “robbed” and described how the shooting affected their three children. The family’s lawyer Antonio Romanucci called the lawsuits “the beginning of the ultimate legal weapon in uncovering the truth behind this unlawful use of deadly force.” The cases were filed in Minnesota’s federal court.

Final Thoughts

The lawsuits mark a rare legal challenge to Trump administration immigration enforcement using both federal tort law and civil rights statutes. With video evidence contradicting official accounts and prosecutors resigning over the case, the litigation signals mounting legal pressure on the administration’s mass deportation policy.

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