Federal wrongful death and civil rights lawsuits

On October 1, the family of Renee Good filed two federal lawsuits in Minneapolis against the United States government and several senior officials from the administration of President Donald Trump. The legal actions were brought by Good's partner, Becca Good, and her brother, Brent Ganger, following her fatal shooting by a federal immigration agent in January. One lawsuit asserts claims of wrongful death, battery, assault, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence under Minnesota law. The second action alleges a conspiracy to violate civil rights, naming as defendants Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, White House border official Tom Homan, campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, and former Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino. The family's legal representatives at Romanucci and Blandin described the federal deployment as a coordinated campaign against local residents.

“Renee's death was not an accident. It was the predictable result of a co-ordinated campaign by senior officials in this administration to target Minnesotans of Somali or Hispanic origin and silence anyone who dared to raise their voice in protest.”

The January shooting on Portland Avenue

Good, a 37-year-old mother of three and US citizen, was killed on January 7 on Portland Avenue during demonstrations against Operation Metro Surge, a federal enforcement campaign that brought thousands of immigration agents into Minneapolis. Video footage recorded by bystanders and the officer's phone captured Good seated in the driver's seat of a red SUV, honking her horn while parked to partially block a street during an immigration operation. Ross approached the car on foot while filming, prompting Good to tell him that she was not angry with him. When a second masked agent ordered her out of the vehicle, Good reversed briefly and turned her steering wheel to the right to drive away. Ross moved to the front left of the vehicle, shouted, and fired into the windshield and open driver-side window, striking Good three times in the head, arm, and torso.

Department of Justice inquiry and prosecutor resignations

Following the shooting, Trump administration officials defended Ross, asserting that the agent acted in self-defense and characterizing Good's actions as domestic terrorism. Former Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that there were no grounds to open a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting, while the Department of Justice instead opened an inquiry into Becca Good's connections to protest organizations. The decision to halt local federal prosecutors from investigating the agents prompted at least six to ten federal prosecutors in Minneapolis to resign in protest. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and state prosecutors repeatedly requested access to federal evidence to conduct an independent state inquiry, while thousands of residents attended prayer vigils outside the Minnesota State Capitol.

Crackdown timeline and casualties

Good's death was part of a series of violent encounters during the winter enforcement push in Minnesota before Trump concluded Operation Metro Surge in February. Days after Good was killed, an ICE agent shot and wounded Venezuelan delivery driver Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg. Two weeks later, federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive-care nurse employed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Overall, at least 10 individuals have died during encounters with federal immigration officers during Trump's second term. Brent Ganger told reporters on Thursday that government practices had not changed since his sister was killed, calling for accountability for the federal actions.

“The killing of innocent Americans by government agents, funded by taxpayers, should alarm every American.”