DOJ Rules Out Probe of ICE Killing as Minnesota Officials Face Scrutiny

The US Justice Department will not investigate the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who killed Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Macklin Good earlier this month, while federal prosecutors consider possible charges against senior Minnesota officials accused of encouraging protests.

Speaking to Fox News on Sunday night, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department’s civil rights unit would not pursue an investigation into the January 7 shooting of Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, who was killed while sitting behind the wheel of her car during a protest.

“We don’t just go out and investigate every time an officer is forced to defend himself against somebody,” Blanche said. “We investigate when it’s appropriate to investigate.”

“So, no, we are not investigating. And if there comes a time when we need to, we will, but it’s not now,” he added.

Good’s killing has become a flashpoint in Minneapolis, where confrontations between residents and federal officers have intensified in recent weeks. She was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who authorities say fired up to four times while acting in self-defence.

The Trump administration has repeatedly defended Ross’s actions. Senior officials, including Vice President JD Vance and White House adviser Stephen Miller, have argued that ICE officers have “absolute immunity” when carrying out immigration enforcement duties.

Blanche said footage of the incident has already been widely circulated.

“It’s been reviewed by millions and millions of Americans because it was recorded on phones when it happened,” he said.

But independent reporting has raised unresolved questions. An analysis by Minnesota Public Radio and APM Reports found gaps in the official account, including why it allegedly took more than 10 minutes after Good was shot for CPR to be administered.

According to those reports, ICE agents left Good “bleeding and alone in the car for almost three minutes” and “turned away a man identifying himself as a physician who offered to help”.

As the DOJ closes the door on a federal civil rights probe, Blanche confirmed that prosecutors are examining whether top Minnesota officials could face charges for allegedly encouraging protests that followed the killing. He did not specify which officials are under scrutiny or what charges are being considered.

Lawyers for Good’s family have launched their own civil investigation, saying accountability will not come from the federal government.

“People in Minneapolis and across this country truly, truly care about what happened to Renee Good on January 7, 2026, and are committed to understanding how she could have been killed on the street after dropping her child off at school,” said family attorney Antonio Romanucci.