Leaked Department of Homeland Security documents show ICE personnel in Minneapolis were given updated safety guidance and asked to identify volunteers for additional deployments following last week’s fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Renee Good by an ICE officer, according to journalist Ken Klippenstein.
Klippenstein shared the documents on his Substack, including a memo urging staff to tighten operational security and prioritize officer safety while arriving at and leaving hotels. The guidance recommends limiting online activity, turning off location settings, and setting social media accounts to private.
The memos and related reporting point to heightened anxiety among agents assigned to the Twin Cities area after the January 7 shooting. The incident led to several days of protests and intensified scrutiny of DHS enforcement tactics in Minnesota.
One memo published by Klippenstein sought 300 additional personnel—200 Border Patrol agents and 100 processing coordinators—to support what it called “Operation Metro Surge” by Sunday, January 11. Klippenstein also reported the agency was seeking volunteers for assignments in Minneapolis.
A Border Patrol agent familiar with staffing discussions told Klippenstein the volunteer push reflected uncertainty inside the ranks after Good’s death and the protests that followed. “We do have personnel but some just don’t want to go,” the agent said, according to Klippenstein’s report.
Klippenstein also reported that a senior DHS official in Washington raised concerns about the direction of the operation and argued for de-escalation. The official allegedly said some officers viewed the assignment as unusually tense compared to previous deployments and worried that aggressive tactics and heated rhetoric could increase risks for personnel.
Another agent, Klippenstein wrote, blamed rising tensions on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, pointing to her early description of the incident as “domestic terrorism.” That label has drawn criticism and raised questions about how the department publicly framed the shooting.
Good was killed during a federal enforcement action in Minneapolis. Video of the incident shows officers surrounding her vehicle and attempting to open a car door before she drove away. An officer then fired, and the SUV crashed into a parked car. The shooting has since fueled protests and political fallout in Minnesota and beyond.
The leaked documents surfaced as DHS expanded its footprint in the Minneapolis area. The Associated Press reported earlier this month that Homeland Security planned to send up to 2,000 agents and officers to Minnesota for what the agency described as a major immigration enforcement operation. Noem also joined ICE officers during at least one arrest.
DHS has not publicly disputed the authenticity of the memos Klippenstein published. Newsweek reported that it contacted the White House and the Justice Department for comment about federal actions and the Minnesota operation.
Klippenstein’s release of the documents adds detail about the security steps tied to the surge, including measures aimed at reducing digital footprints and lowering the risk of personnel being identified while traveling to and from their accommodations.
