The family of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman fatally shot by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis in January, has filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, accusing federal officials of unconstitutional conduct and excessive use of force.
The civil cases name Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who shot Good, along with senior administration officials. The family is seeking damages and a jury trial, arguing that Good’s death came without adequate accountability or investigation.
Good was killed on January 7 after she and her wife, Becca Good, encountered federal immigration agents during a period of intensified deportation operations across Minnesota. The couple had joined protests taking place in Minneapolis as large numbers of masked and armed federal agents conducted immigration enforcement operations.
Speaking at a news conference announcing the lawsuits, Good’s brother, Brett Ganger, questioned the absence of accountability following his sister’s death.
“What happened to Renee was completely senseless,” Ganger said, adding that the lack of an investigation, official condolences or changes to policy was deeply troubling.
The White House rejected the allegations and said the administration would defend itself against the lawsuits.
Family describes Good as a mother and poet
The lawsuits portray Good as a poet and mother of three who had been living with her wife and children in Minneapolis.
According to the court filings, Good and Becca Good had dropped their 6-year-old son at school before encountering ICE agents on Portland Avenue. Good reportedly honked her car horn after seeing federal agents in the area, while her wife stepped out to record what was happening.
The family maintains that Good was not the subject of an immigration investigation and had not committed an offence that federal officers were authorised to enforce.
Becca Good also spoke publicly about her wife for the first time since the shooting.
“She was pure love,” she said, describing Renee as funny, intelligent and compassionate. She added that her wife believed that kindness could make a difference and that everyone deserved dignity and care.
Shooting caught on video
Good’s death was recorded in videos that later circulated widely.
The footage shows Ross approaching Good’s vehicle after passing it and walking around the car while using his cellphone. Good is heard telling him, “That’s fine, dude, I’m not mad at you.”
Another immigration agent subsequently approached the vehicle and instructed Good to get out. The video shows the car briefly moving backward before Good appears to turn the vehicle forward.
Ross, who had moved toward the front-left side of the vehicle, then fired his weapon. Good was struck three times, including in the head, arm and torso.
Ross has not publicly offered an account of the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security has defended the actions of Ross and other federal immigration officers, saying the use of force was justified in dangerous circumstances.
Broader controversy over Minnesota immigration crackdown
Good’s killing became a major flashpoint in opposition to the federal immigration operation in Minnesota, which involved thousands of federal agents conducting street-level enforcement.
The operation, known as Operation Metro Surge, was brought to an end in February. The Trump administration has continued to defend its immigration policies as necessary for public safety.
The Minnesota operation also saw other violent encounters. ICE agents shot and wounded Venezuelan delivery driver Julio Sosa-Celis days after Good’s death. Two weeks later, federal immigration agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, an American nurse employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In the aftermath of Good’s death, senior administration officials described her as a domestic terrorist. The Justice Department also halted its federal prosecutors in Minneapolis from pursuing an investigation into the agents involved, a decision that was followed by the resignation of several prosecutors.
No federal immigration agent involved in the shootings has been criminally charged.
State investigation continues
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty is separately examining the deaths of Good and Pretti for possible violations of Minnesota law.
That investigation has faced obstacles after the Justice Department withdrew its customary cooperation and evidence-sharing with local authorities. Minnesota has filed its own legal action seeking access to evidence collected by federal authorities at the shooting scenes.
The new lawsuits by Good’s family add another legal challenge over the circumstances surrounding her death and the conduct of the federal immigration operation in Minneapolis.
