Renee Good’s Family Sues Over Fatal ICE Shooting

The family of Renee Good, a 37-year-old US citizen and mother of three who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis on 7 January, has filed two lawsuits connected to her death. Her brother, Brent Ganger, and her partner, Becca Good, are bringing the cases against the US government and people in the Trump administration. At a news conference, Becca Good spoke publicly for the first time since the shooting, describing the loss as the destruction of her family’s world and saying their children had been deeply affected. One lawsuit, brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, alleges that the government is responsible for Renee Good’s death through battery, assault, false imprisonment, emotional distress and negligence. The other names ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots, and several senior officials, including Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem and Tom Homan. It alleges a conspiracy to interfere with civil rights. The family’s lawyer says the immigration operation created an unprecedented environment for state-sponsored violence. The White House calls the lawsuits baseless and says it will defend them vigorously. The article recounts conflicting accounts of the shooting. Trump initially blamed Good, claiming she had run over the officer, but later described her death as a tragedy and acknowledged agents can make mistakes. Immigration authorities said Good attempted to harm officers; witnesses disputed that account. Her killing prompted protests across the country, which intensified after Alex Pretti was killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis later that month. Hundreds of federal agents were subsequently withdrawn, and operation leader Greg Bovino was removed from his post. Good’s brother says there has been no meaningful change since her death. Her mother, who testified at a congressional hearing, said she had voted for Trump but was seeking accountability. The article also notes that at least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration officers during Trump’s second term, according to the Associated Press.

Renee Good’s partner, Becca Good, and her brother, Brent Ganger, have filed two lawsuits over Good’s fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2026. Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was killed during a federal immigration operation as protests against immigration raids were taking place across the city. The U.S. Justice Department had not immediately responded to a request for comment. One lawsuit, filed against the United States, seeks damages for wrongful death and for the suffering Good experienced before her death. It also alleges emotional distress affecting Becca Good. The couple were not legally married but referred to each other as wives, and had recently moved to Minneapolis from Kansas City, Mo. The suit requests a bench trial. The second lawsuit seeks a jury trial and alleges conspiracy to interfere with civil rights. It names the officer identified as Jonathan Ross, as well as current and former Trump administration officials and others. The complaint argues that the shooting was the predictable result of an operation designed to target Somali and Hispanic communities and intimidate people supporting them. These are allegations made in the lawsuit, not findings established by a court. Video reviewed by The Associated Press shows Good in a red SUV, officers approaching and ordering her out, and an officer firing as the vehicle moves. Federal officials said at the time that the officer acted in self-defence and described Good’s actions as domestic terrorism. The article also notes that Good’s killing and the later death of Alex Pretti prompted national outrage and calls to limit immigration enforcement. Becca Good said the family’s grief extends to others affected by the deaths and expressed hope that no family would experience a similar loss.

The family of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis on January 7, has filed two civil lawsuits against the US government and officials. The suits were filed on October 1 by the Romanucci Blandin law firm. Good’s brother, Brent Ganger, is acting as trustee for her next of kin, including her three children, and her wife, Becca Good, is also a plaintiff. One lawsuit names the United States as the sole defendant. The other names government and border-control officials, including the ICE officer who shot Good, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, and then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The lawsuits allege a federal conspiracy involving discriminatory targeting and the use of force against people observing or protesting the federal operation. They contend that officials used exaggerated fraud accusations to justify deploying masked agents, encouraged confrontations with observers, and led agents to believe they would not face consequences for using force. These are allegations presented by the plaintiffs. Good and her wife had been participating in protests against the deployment of federal agents to Minnesota to identify and arrest undocumented migrants. Good’s death, followed two weeks later by the killing of nurse Alex Pretti, intensified protests against Operation Metro Surge, the Minneapolis deployment of ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents. The operation wound down and ended by mid-February. At a Minneapolis press conference, Becca Good described her wife as loving, funny, smart, and compassionate, and said she believed everyone deserved dignity and care. Ganger said the family was left with a profound loss and condemned what he described as a lack of accountability, investigation, condolences, or policy change. The article situates the operation within President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration and border-security policies and his criticism of authorities in Democratic-led states.