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The family of Renee Good has filed two federal civil lawsuits against Trump administration officials, nine months after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot her in Minneapolis. Their attorney announced the legal action on Thursday. The suits allege wrongful death, excessive force and a range of related civil rights violations.
Two Separate Lawsuits Target Federal Officials
The first lawsuit seeks to hold the United States government liable under the Federal Tort Claims Act. It alleges wrongful death, battery, assault, false imprisonment, emotional distress and negligence against federal agents involved in the incident.
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The second lawsuit names ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the fatal shot, as a defendant. It also names several senior federal officials, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the White House responded immediately to requests for comment.
Good’s brother, Brent Ganger, spoke publicly about the legal action. “I stand here with fierce determination to do what is right for my sister, for her children, and for our country — and that is to insist on accountability,” he said in a statement. He added that what happened to his sister on January 7th “is not what America is about” and called on the Constitution to serve as “the roadmap back to decency and the rule of law.”
The January 7 Shooting
Good, 37, died after Ross shot her while she sat in the driver’s seat of her SUV on January 7. The shooting happened roughly one month after the Trump administration deployed approximately 3,000 immigration agents to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area under an initiative officials called Operation Metro Surge.
Federal agents moved into Minnesota after right-wing influencers drew attention to a state fraud scandal involving Somali nationals. The operation triggered large protests and strong opposition from state leaders. It ended in February.
Cellphone video captured the shooting. The footage showed Good’s partner, Becca Good, standing outside the SUV and calling Ross “big boy” while telling him to remove the covering from his face. Other officers at the scene told Good to exit the vehicle. The video then shows Good turning the steering wheel away from Ross and beginning to drive. Multiple gunshots follow before her SUV crashes into a parked car.
In a separate video recorded by Ross, a male voice says a profanity moments before the crash. Witnesses who spoke to NBC News at the time said Ross did not appear to be directly in the path of the SUV.
Administration Defends Officer’s Actions
President Donald Trump and former Secretary Noem both defended Ross publicly. They claimed Good was an agitator who attempted to run over the officer with her vehicle. However, witness accounts contradicted that characterization.
Noem said Ross received hospital treatment for injuries he sustained during the incident and was later released. A DHS official previously told NBC News that Ross suffered internal bleeding, though officials did not provide further details about his condition.
Calls for Accountability
Attorney Antonio M. Romanucci, who represents Good’s family, said he hopes the lawsuits mark the beginning of a broader legal effort. He described them as “the ultimate legal weapon in uncovering the truth behind this unlawful use of deadly force and the nefarious conspiracies behind the invasion of American cities by American law enforcement officers.”
Meanwhile, the Minneapolis area saw a second fatal shooting involving federal agents in the weeks that followed Good’s death. Customs and Border Protection agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, also in Minneapolis. That incident added further pressure on federal immigration enforcement operations in the region.
