Democrats are lining up to demand the resignations of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House aide Stephen Miller in the wake of an ICE agent fatally shooting an unarmed mom.
Renee Good, 37, was shot three times by a federal officer as she attempted to drive away from a traffic stop during a protest against an immigration raid in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday.
The killing detonated a political firestorm after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, 44, said video of the encounter undermined the administration’s claim of self-defense. He called the government’s account that Good was a “domestic terrorist” a “garbage narrative” and told ICE: “Get the f--k out of Minneapolis.”
As condemnation spread, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, 60, accused Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security of “lawless havoc” and said of the Homeland Security Secretary: “Kristi Noem must go. Now.”
When asked about the incident by Migrant Insider editor Pablo Manríquez, Democratic lawmaker Madeleine Dean said of Noem, nicknamed ICE Barbie for her love of dolling up for immigration raid photo-ops, “Whatever the heck her name is, the woman with the cowboy hat and many outfits...It’s time for her to go.”
Rep. Yassamin Ansari, 33, claimed the killing was “what an unchecked paramilitary force looks like,” and went further, urging resignations from Noem and Miller, the architect of the nationwide crackdown.
House Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee warned that “what American citizens should understand” is that “Noem’s secret police can kill you—then lie and call you a terrorist. That’s what they’re doing now."
Noem, 54, offered a dramatically different version of events at a press conference after the shooting, alleging that ICE officers were harassed by a “mob of agitators,” and claiming Good “weaponize[d] her vehicle” and tried to run an officer over. Noem said the incident was being investigated as domestic terrorism, with the FBI involved, while state officials said they would also investigate.
Video showed officers briskly approaching Good’s Honda SUV and ordering her out before an agent fired three shots as the vehicle began to pull away. The SUV then crashed into parked cars and a utility pole as bystanders screamed in shock.
Democrats have branded the incident “murder” and “homicide.” Speaking to Manríquez on Capitol Hill, Rep. Dan Goldman said, “It was an outright murder. This officer needs to not only be fired and suspended, but—based on the video—charged."
Rep. Hank Johnson said, “This was a homicide for which there should be criminal charges.” Rep. Jimmy Gomez agreed, adding, “I think the AG in Minnesota has to take a hard look and probably file charges.”
The political blowback landed as oversight concerns grew over ICE’s rapid expansion. An aide to Sen. Gary Peters, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, told Military.com on Tuesday that Peters had “serious concerns” about how ICE had vetted, trained, and onboarded about 12,000 new front-line personnel in under a year, adding that the office had sought briefings on training changes and had not received them.
The rush ordered by Noem to add thousands of ICE agents has produced what officials and trainees told the Daily Mail amounted to a “circus,” where big bonuses and lowered entry standards have drawn recruits accused of violence, sexual misconduct, and basic illiteracy, including applicants deemed medically unfit.
The Mail investigation followed the Beast’s exclusive report a month earlier in which insiders said the recruitment push had turned into a full-blown “s--tshow,” putting Noem’s job in jeopardy.
Noem’s recruitment drive was meant to bolster Trump’s immigration blitz, devised by Miller, his deputy chief of staff. The ensuing crackdown has led to a nationwide push across cities, with large, multi-agency surges, loud messaging, aggressive street-level enforcement, and thousands of arrests.
In Minnesota this week, DHS says it has launched its biggest immigration operation yet, deploying about 2,000 personnel from ICE and Border Patrol to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area.
Federal officers have been going door-to-door in the Twin Cities investigating suspected fraud, human smuggling, and unlawful employment practices, while deportation officers conduct immigration arrests, backed by tactical units.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reiterated Noem’s earlier statements in a comment to the Daily Beast, saying ICE agents “were conducting targeted operations when rioters began blocking ICE officers and one of these violent rioters weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism."
