Federal Agents Refuse to Cooperate in Investigation into ICE Officer's Shooting Death of Protester Renee Good
In a chilling display of federal overreach, President Trump has refused to allow state and local authorities in Minnesota to conduct their own investigation into the death of protester Renee Good, shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis.
According to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division declined to open an investigation into the ICE officer who shot and killed Good. Despite a request from Ellison for the department to review evidence, they decided not to pursue charges.
What's more, the FBI has seized critical evidence from the scene, including bullet casings and Good's car, which could show the bullet trajectory. However, the federal government is refusing to share this evidence with state and local prosecutors who are trying to get answers for Good's family.
The implications of this refusal are stark. Ellison argues that the federal government's actions amount to a form of obstruction, denying Minnesota officials the right to determine what happened on that fateful day. "Look, what happened that day has been reviewed by millions and millions of Americans because it was recorded on phones," US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an interview with Fox News. "The Department of Justice, our civil rights unit, we don't just go out and investigate every time an officer is forced to defend himself against somebody putting his life in danger."
However, Ellison countered that the distinction between an officer's right to self-defense and a federal agent's actions is crucial. He pointed out that Minneapolis has a "separation ordinance" which limits the city's obligation to cooperate with ICE, but does not bar them from doing so.
In reality, the city workers are under no statutory obligation to assist ICE in accessing jails or detaining immigrants without warrants. Ellison argued that going beyond that would expose the state to legal liability and put citizens at risk of civil lawsuits.
The real issue here is not fraud – although Trump has been targeting Minneapolis Democrats over documented cases of social services fraud among Somali American communities, claims which Ellison vehemently denies as unjustified and misinformed.
The true test case for the Trump administration's policies is Minnesota. According to Ellison, President Trump is determined to use his powers to retribution against political enemies, sending armed men with guns, wearing masks – not accountants or forensic financial investigators.
Trump's threat to invoke the Insurrection Act, a law that grants the president authority to deploy federal troops in cases of civil unrest, should be taken seriously. Ellison and other state officials have been war-gaming responses since early 2024, preparing legal challenges to what would be an extraordinary assertion of federal power.
In Minneapolis, this means active-duty federal troops patrolling the streets of an American city, ostensibly to support ICE operations. Ellison argues that this is a threat to democratic governance and basic rights, amounting to "I am your retribution" for opposing Trump's policies – and he will not stand idly by while this is played out in his state.
The question now is whether the state of Minnesota can resist this unprecedented federal overreach and protect its citizens' right to a fair investigation. One thing is certain: Renee Good's family deserves answers, and the American people deserve to know what happened that day in Minneapolis.
In a chilling display of federal overreach, President Trump has refused to allow state and local authorities in Minnesota to conduct their own investigation into the death of protester Renee Good, shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis.
According to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division declined to open an investigation into the ICE officer who shot and killed Good. Despite a request from Ellison for the department to review evidence, they decided not to pursue charges.
What's more, the FBI has seized critical evidence from the scene, including bullet casings and Good's car, which could show the bullet trajectory. However, the federal government is refusing to share this evidence with state and local prosecutors who are trying to get answers for Good's family.
The implications of this refusal are stark. Ellison argues that the federal government's actions amount to a form of obstruction, denying Minnesota officials the right to determine what happened on that fateful day. "Look, what happened that day has been reviewed by millions and millions of Americans because it was recorded on phones," US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an interview with Fox News. "The Department of Justice, our civil rights unit, we don't just go out and investigate every time an officer is forced to defend himself against somebody putting his life in danger."
However, Ellison countered that the distinction between an officer's right to self-defense and a federal agent's actions is crucial. He pointed out that Minneapolis has a "separation ordinance" which limits the city's obligation to cooperate with ICE, but does not bar them from doing so.
In reality, the city workers are under no statutory obligation to assist ICE in accessing jails or detaining immigrants without warrants. Ellison argued that going beyond that would expose the state to legal liability and put citizens at risk of civil lawsuits.
The real issue here is not fraud – although Trump has been targeting Minneapolis Democrats over documented cases of social services fraud among Somali American communities, claims which Ellison vehemently denies as unjustified and misinformed.
The true test case for the Trump administration's policies is Minnesota. According to Ellison, President Trump is determined to use his powers to retribution against political enemies, sending armed men with guns, wearing masks – not accountants or forensic financial investigators.
Trump's threat to invoke the Insurrection Act, a law that grants the president authority to deploy federal troops in cases of civil unrest, should be taken seriously. Ellison and other state officials have been war-gaming responses since early 2024, preparing legal challenges to what would be an extraordinary assertion of federal power.
In Minneapolis, this means active-duty federal troops patrolling the streets of an American city, ostensibly to support ICE operations. Ellison argues that this is a threat to democratic governance and basic rights, amounting to "I am your retribution" for opposing Trump's policies – and he will not stand idly by while this is played out in his state.
The question now is whether the state of Minnesota can resist this unprecedented federal overreach and protect its citizens' right to a fair investigation. One thing is certain: Renee Good's family deserves answers, and the American people deserve to know what happened that day in Minneapolis.