A new report says the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis is married to a Filipino American woman whose parents are physicians living in the Philippines.
What happened
Jonathan E. Ross, 43, shot Good, 37, last Wednesday morning in south Minneapolis as she sat in an SUV. Good and her wife, Rebecca, were reportedly using the vehicle to record ICE activity. Minneapolis police arrived after receiving reports of a shooting and found Good with a gunshot wound to the head. She was transported to a local hospital, where she died. Good is survived by her wife and a 6-year-old child.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the shooting soon after, telling CNN that Good “attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle.” Multiple videos and eyewitness accounts have disputed that description, leading Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to publicly reject the federal account, calling it “bullshit.”
The incident occurred during Operation Metro Surge, an effort that has deployed more than 2,400 Department of Homeland Security agents into the Twin Cities area—reportedly outnumbering Minneapolis police by more than two to one.
Who is Jonathan E. Ross
Ross is an Iraq War veteran and has reportedly worked with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division since at least 2013. He currently serves on the agency’s Special Response Team.
According to the Daily Mail, Ross married his wife—identified only as 38 years old—in August 2012. The report says she is a U.S. citizen and that her parents, both physicians, live in the Philippines. Ross’ father, Ed, declined to discuss her immigration history and described his son as “a committed, conservative Christian” and a “tremendous” father and husband.
Family and politics, side by side
The Daily Mail report also describes details from the couple’s time in El Paso, Texas, including a 2013 photo Ross’ wife posted beside a Border Patrol helicopter and posts featuring recipes from a Spanish-language cookbook.
The report notes political tension within the family as well. In October 2020, Ross’ sister Nicole criticized white supremacy in a Facebook post, which reportedly prompted an exchange about the Proud Boys that ended with her writing, “we have to respectfully disagree” and “you are my brother and I love you, but we will not engage in a debate on Facebook.”
Neighbors told the Daily Mail they had previously seen pro-Trump and “Don’t Tread On Me” Gadsden flags at Ross’ residence, though they said the flags were removed recently. One neighbor described Ross’ wife as “polite, very nice, very outgoing,” while calling Ross “very reserved.”
Why it’s drawing attention
Ross’ marriage to a non-white U.S. citizen with close family ties abroad is being highlighted amid broader debates about immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, including criticism that its crackdown has involved racial profiling. The contrast has also sparked discussion among Filipino Americans, one of the country’s largest Asian immigrant communities.
Questions around accountability
The shooting has also resurfaced a prior incident involving Ross. Last June in Bloomington, Minnesota, an undocumented immigrant reportedly dragged Ross more than 100 yards with a vehicle during a traffic stop, leaving him hospitalized and requiring dozens of stitches to his arm and hand.
Beyond the use-of-force dispute, the case has raised concerns about transparency. Federal authorities have reportedly blocked state investigators from reviewing case files and physical evidence.
Noem said on Sunday that hundreds more federal agents would be in Minneapolis through Monday.
