A new YouGov survey suggests Americans largely back the idea of filing criminal charges against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross in connection with the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
The shooting occurred last Wednesday during an incident that quickly became a flashpoint after video emerged and initial accounts were contested. Ross shot and killed Good, and the confrontation was captured on camera.
In the immediate aftermath, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the 37-year-old Good a “domestic terrorist” and said the killing was justified. Trump also criticized Good publicly. But subsequent video and statements from police officials appeared to conflict with that version of events.
According to the YouGov poll conducted from January 9 through January 11, respondents opposed the shooting and expressed skepticism toward ICE across multiple questions.
When asked, “Do you think the ICE agent should face criminal charges for shooting the woman in Minneapolis?” 53% said “yes,” while 30% said “no,” with the rest saying they were not sure. Among independents, 54% favored charges and 23% opposed.
A similarly wide gap appeared in responses to a second question: “Do you think the ICE agent was justified or not justified in the amount of force he used in shooting the woman in Minneapolis?” On that item, 53% said Ross was not justified, compared with 28% who said he was justified.
The poll also found broad concern about ICE’s conduct more generally. Sixty-one percent of respondents said ICE “often” or “sometimes” arrests immigrants “who are authorized to live in the U.S. and have not committed immigration or customs violations.” Separately, 60% said ICE agents use “unnecessary physical force against U.S. citizens who have not committed immigration or customs violations.”
The survey indicated a shift in public perception of the agency over the past year as well. Respondents gave ICE a net favorability rating of minus-12, compared with a plus-16 net favorability in February, shortly after Trump was sworn in—an overall swing of 28 points.
Local leaders in Minnesota pushed back strongly on the federal narrative after the shooting. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz criticized the administration’s public claims, and Walz has also accused the federal government of sidelining state and local agencies in the investigation.
