By Hank Russell
Local elected officials directed their anger at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the wake of a deadly shooting that took place in Minnesota.
On January 7, an ICE agent fired on a vehicle driven by Renee Good in downtown Minneapolis. According to news sources, Good was shot while inside her car. She was brought to a local hospital, where she died.
What caused the shooting was unclear. Witnesses said ICE agents gave Good conflicting instructions, with one agent grabbing her driver’s-side door handle and telling her to get out of the car, while another agent stepped in front of her car with his gun drawn. When Good started to drive away, that’s when the officer fired at Good’s car.
However, Homeland Security Department Secretary Kristi Noem said the agent shot at Good because his life was in danger and the driver committed “an act of domestic terrorism,” CBS News reported.
She also accused Good of “stalking and impeding” their mission. “ICE agents repeatedly ordered her to get out of the car and to stop obstructing law enforcement, but she refused to obey their commands. She then proceeded to weaponize her vehicle and she attempted to run a law enforcement officer over,” Noem said, as reported by CBS News.
This was not the first time the agent — identified as Jonathan Ross — was injured by a vehicle. Last June, Ross was dragged by a vehicle when the suspect he was pursuing drove off. According to the DHS, attacks on ICE officers shot up 1,300%, while vehicular assaults skyrocketed by 3,200%.
Ross’ actions angered the city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, who told ICE to “get the f— out” of Minneapolis. Local elected officials took their shots as well.
“Just as January 6, 2021, will always be a shameful day in our history, so too, sadly, will January 7, 2026, be remembered,” said Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove). “Americans of good faith condemn the murder of Renee Nicole Good, and we condemn the cheap demagogues who issued false statements damning her while her corpse was still in her car and her blood still fresh on the Minneapolis snow. There is a special place in hell for any official who would try to politically monetize this American tragedy. Renee Nicole Good will never return home. Her children will never see her again. It is time for Americans of good faith to mourn. It is time for [President Donald] Trump and his sycophants to withdraw ICE from our American communities.”
Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni (D-Sag Harbor) called the shooting “ a clear demonstration of the dangers of having heavily armed federal agents in our communities.”
“Masked ICE agents are roaming towns and cities across the country in pursuit of individuals regardless of due process, and this inhumane use of deadly force should be highly scrutinized,” Schiavoni said. “As the appropriate authorities investigate the killing of Renee Nicole Good, arbitrarily labeling an American citizen a ‘professional agitator’ and a ‘domestic terrorist’ is in clear violation of due process afforded to all in the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions.”
On an episode of MS NOW’s Morning Joe, Governor Kathy Hochul called for “holding” ICE agents “more accountable,” adding, “You come in with masks, they call [Good] a terrorist?”
She also blasted ICE officers for wearing masks. “You’re terrorizing people yourselves, and I don’t want to see that,” she said.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman — who is running against Hochul for governor — accused the governor of demeaning law enforcement with her remarks. “New York doesn’t have a law enforcement problem – it has a crime problem,” Blakeman said. “But instead of standing with the men and women who protect our communities, Governor Hochul has chosen to demonize them. When Albany attacks law enforcement, criminals hear it loud and clear, and innocent New Yorkers pay the price.
Blakeman pointed out that his administration has worked cooperatively with federal law enforcement — including ICE — to remove dangerous criminals from local communities while respecting due process and public safety. Under Hochul’s leadership, he said, New York has repeatedly prioritized the protection of criminals over the rights of victims, fueling rising crime, disorder, and an exodus of families and businesses seeking safer communities.
“As Governor, I will restore common sense,” Blakeman said. “We will put law-abiding citizens first, back police, enforce the law, and finally give crime victims the justice they deserve.”
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to ICE for a response, but did not hear back as of press time.