Jon Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who fatally wounded Renee Nicole Good during a Minneapolis standoff earlier this month, has received more than $1 million in online donations.
Neither of the major campaigns supporting Ross were created by him, but both have attracted thousands of donors, including one billionaire, and further inflamed critics who already saw him as a deeply polarizing figure.
Highlights
- ICE agent Jon Ross has raised over $1 million through online fundraisers following the shooting of Renee Good.
- Supporters claim Ross acted in self-defense after Good allegedly struck him with her SUV; critics call it an unjustified act.
- Billionaire Bill Ackman donated $10K to Ross, saying both families deserved support amid the ongoing federal investigation.
For them, the fact that Ross has received over a million dollars in donations represents a disturbing reward for what they believe was a disproportionate use of force.
Supporters call him “fearless.” Detractors call it blood money.
Outrage grows among ICE detractors as Jon Ross, responsible for the passing of Renee Good, receives a million dollars in donations
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The 43-year-old was among a group of federal officers engaged in an immigration enforcement operation in a Minneapolis neighborhood on January 7.
That morning, Renee Good and her wife, Rebecca, were stopped in the middle of a street inside an active ICE enforcement operation, with their SUV partially blocking a lane of traffic and interfering with agents’ movements during the federal sweep.
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Footage from the scene shows Ross and another officer approaching the vehicle while Rebecca tries to open the passenger-side door.
“Show your face,” Rebecca says. “You want to come at us? You want to come at us? I say go get yourself some lunch big boy. Go ahead.”
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As the confrontation escalates, federal agents order Renee Good to exit her vehicle. She does not comply.
“Drive, baby, drive!” Rebecca then shouts. The SUV then pulls forward allegedly hitting Ross in his torso and causing internal bleeding.
Gunshots are heard. Ross, standing in front of the car, opens fire, fatally striking Renee in the face.
Supporters of Ross argue that his actions that morning were a justified act of self‑defense
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The Department of Homeland Security and administration officials have repeatedly framed the encounter in that light, saying Ross fired because he reasonably believed Good was attempting to use her vehicle to harm him or other agents.
In the aftermath, two crowdfunders were created to support Ross.
A GoFundMe campaign, started by Clyde Emmons, has since raised over $747,000, with Emmons writing that Ross was “1000 percent justified in the shooting” and calling Good a “domestic terr*rist.”
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A separate GiveSendGo campaign, created by Tom Hennessey, referred to Good as “a radical leftist agitator” and praised Ross for “firing in self-defense to neutralize the threat.”
That campaign has amassed more than $279,000.
GiveSendGo co-founder Jacob Wells confirmed that Ross has already received funds from the platform.
“All campaigns on our platform go directly to the recipient,” he stated, while addressing rival fundraising companies. “Our competitors have a history of canceling law enforcement fundraisers… That time has ended.”
Detractors believe Ross’ actions were disproportionate and did not constitute an act of self-defense
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Ross’s top donor was identified as billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who contributed $10,000.
Ackman also said he attempted to contribute to a fundraiser for Good’s family, but it had already closed after raising $1.5 million. “I believe both families deserve support,” Ackman wrote.
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While some have condemned the fundraising effort as a celebration of violence, Ross’s defenders have rallied around him, citing his injuries and the dangers of his profession.
The Trump administration confirmed Ross suffered internal bleeding in the incident, though Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem clarified he was released from the hospital the same day.
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“They had guns. We had whistles,” Rebecca Good said in a statement to Minnesota Public Radio, with those who support her believing the usage of force was disproportionate and did not constitute self-defense.
Ross has retained legal representation through attorney Chris Madel, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota, who confirmed that Ross has applied for federal defense aid and may be represented by DOJ attorneys if charged.
So far, no criminal charges have been filed against Ross. The FBI is still conducting its investigation
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The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has not opened a federal rights violation case. Instead, sources say investigators are exploring possible ties between Good and anti-ICE activist groups, including participants in Minneapolis neighborhood watch actions aimed at obstructing immigration arrests.
Trump officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary Noem, have described Good as a “professional agitator.”
The Good family disputes those claims.
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In a statement released through their legal team, Romanucci & Blandin, the same firm that represented George Floyd’s family, her relatives said she had no criminal record and was not the person being portrayed by ICE supporters.
“I've been pretty quiet about this,” wrote Morgan Fletcher, Good’s sister-in-law, in a Facebook post. “We've seen the false claims and the wrong Renee Good's info being posted. She didn't have a criminal history.”
Romanucci & Blandin is launching a civil investigation into the shooting and is expected to release findings in the coming weeks.
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