Justice Department officials said Jan. 13 there is “no basis” for opening an investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three whose fatal shooting by an immigration enforcement agent ignited protests nationwide.
“There is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
Good was shot and killed Jan. 7 in Minneapolis by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross after she moved her car forward near the agent, officials said. Footage of the encounter spread rapidly online and fueled demonstrations against the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security.
President Donald Trump defended Ross, saying it was “hard to believe” the officer survived. Administration officials have argued the current enforcement push is necessary to remove foreign-born criminals from the country. Homeland Security’s deployment to Minnesota followed allegations of major fraud in social welfare programs that officials say is tied to Somali immigrants.
The shooting drew swift condemnation from Democratic leaders, some of whom called for Ross to be arrested. Others moved to impeach DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. A national poll conducted in the days after Good’s death found that more than half of U.S. voters believed the shooting was unjustified.
Blanche did not provide additional details on why the department concluded the case does not warrant a DOJ investigation. Spokespeople did not immediately respond to questions about what circumstances would establish a basis for an inquiry.
The DOJ is instead moving to investigate Good’s widow, according to reporting by outlets including The New York Times and NBC News. Acting U.S. Attorney of Minnesota Joe Thompson — appointed to investigate the state’s fraud scandal — and other federal prosecutors resigned in protest.
