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Demonstrations are planned across the United States this weekend following the fatal shooting of Renee Good, 37, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, as local officials criticized federal authorities for excluding them from the investigation.
Protest organizers said they expected more than a thousand demonstrations over the weekend in response to the incident, which occurred on Wednesday during an immigration enforcement operation.
Federal-local tensions over investigation
Local Minnesota officials have expressed frustration at being shut out of the inquiry. A local prosecutor confirmed that federal investigators had taken Good's car and shell casings from the scene.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, criticized the federal response: "This is not the time to bend the rules. This is a time to follow the law...the fact that Pam Bondi's Department of Justice and this presidential administration has already come to a conclusion about those facts is deeply concerning. We know that they've already determined much of the investigation."
Frey added: "Why not include [local authorities] in the process?"
ICE officer’s actions and controversial footage
Cell phone footage, apparently taken by the ICE agent who fired the fatal shots, shows him approaching and circling Good's car. In the clip, Good tells the officer, "I'm not mad at you," before shots are fired as she attempts to drive away. The video ends with the officer being heard saying, "fucking bitch."
The White House maintained that the video supported the officer’s claim of self-defense, though the clip does not show the moment the car moved or the shots being fired.
US Vice President JD Vance defended the agent, Jonathan Ross, claiming he had "absolute immunity", a statement disputed by local prosecutors. Court filings show Ross had previously been dragged 100 yards by a vehicle during an enforcement operation in June 2025.
Local authorities push for transparency
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty emphasized the importance of local oversight: "Our goal must be that a thorough investigation is completed at the local level. The FBI currently has, for example, Ms. Good's car, the shell casings, and witness interviews."
Moriarty also unveiled an online evidence portal to allow community members to submit leads and evidence.
Patrick O'Shaughnessy, a Minneapolis resident, warned: "When the FBI, when the federal agencies, say they won't share evidence with the local authorities, the public can't trust that it's going to be a true, transparent investigation."
Protests and clashes with federal authorities
Protests continued Friday outside a federal facility, drawing hundreds of demonstrators. Federal immigration officers reportedly used pepperball guns and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Good’s wife, Becca Good, told local media: "We had whistles. They had guns. We had gone to the scene of immigration enforcement activity to support our neighbors."
Civil rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) plan to organize hundreds more demonstrations across the country on Saturday and Sunday.
Federal disputes over Somali immigrant benefits
The divide between local and federal authorities widened after US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins suspended $129.2 million in federal agricultural financial awards, accusing Minnesota officials of overlooking large-scale fraud by Somali immigrants.
(With AFP inputs)
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