Family members of Renee Nicole Good, the woman fatally attacked by an ICE agent during immigration operations in Minneapolis, have spoken out following the tragedy that claimed the 37-year-old’s life.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed the mother “weaponized her vehicle” and tried to run over the ICE officer before she was slain.
Highlights
- A mother living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was fired at from inside her vehicle by an ICE agent.
- The White House claims the agent was injured by the mother and acted in self-defense.
- Family members of the woman, identified as Renee Nicole Good, have denied that she attempted to attack the agent.
Renee Nicole Good’s family has spoken out after she was attacked by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer
Image credits: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Federal agents stated that the officer acted in self-defense and that Good threatened national security.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz disputed this account, calling it “propaganda.” Similarly, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said, "Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly, that is bullsh*t.”
Videos of the incident show ICE agents approaching an SUV which is parked in the middle of a street and ordering the driver to exit the vehicle. As the woman attempts to drive off, one agent points his weapon at her and fires at least twice.
The FBI is investigating.
Image credits: Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images
Around 2,000 federal agents have reportedly been deployed to Minneapolis in recent weeks in response to allegations of welfare fraud.
On Wednesday (January 6), a crowd of people who appeared to be protesting ICE operations could be seen lining the sidewalk of the street where Good was fired at.
Speaking with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Good’s mother, Donna Ganger, said her daughter “was probably terrified” during the confrontation with the officers.
White House officials have accused Good of trying to hit the agent with her vehicle, a claim refuted by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz
Image credits: ODU English Department
She also insisted that the 37-year-old would never have been “part of anything like” the protests against ICE taking place at the time.
“That's so stupid,” Ganger said. “Renee was one of the kindest people I've ever known.”
She described her daughter as “compassionate, loving, forgiving, and affectionate.”
Image credits: wcco
Joseph Macklin, Good’s former brother-in-law, told The Daily Mail that she unnecessarily exposed herself to a dangerous situation, saying, “She had no reason to be there, in my opinion.”
Regarding the protests that were taking place against ICE’s crackdown in Minneapolis, Joseph added that Good had “nothing to do” with them and “shouldn't have been in the way.”
“She had nothing to do with the ICE agents or immigration, so she shouldn't have been there. She should have minded her own business,” he told the outlet.
Joseph said Good had three children, including a six-year-old son she shared with his brother, Tim Macklin Jr., who passed away in 2023.
Her two older children from a previous relationship were reportedly in the custody of their father.
Joseph disputed the White House narrative that Good had attempted to run over the ICE agent.
The tragedy reportedly occurred amid protests against ICE’s crackdown in the city
Image credits: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
“I just watched the video and was pretty astonished that the agent definitely wasn't in the right,” he told The Daily Mail.
“She did just drive off but he wasn't in front of her. It ain't like she tried to run him over, from the video I’ve seen. She was just trying to get away, it looked like.”
Joseph’s father and Good's former father-in-law, Timmy Ray Macklin Sr., told The Telegraph that her sudden passing constituted m*rder.
Image credits: Donna Ganger
“It is horrible, it's m*rder. Everybody is terribly shocked right now,” Timmy stated.
He described his ex daughter-in-law, a prize-winning poet and hobby guitarist, as a “good, outgoing person,” adding, “I didn't agree with a lot of her ways, but it's really sad to see these things happen.”
Timmy’s main concern is now caring for his orphaned grandson. “There's nobody else in his life. I'll drive. I'll fly. To come and get my grandchild.”
The incident that claimed the 37-year-old mother’s life is currently under FBI investigation
Image credits: wcco
Good's partner at the time of the incident, who described herself as her wife, broke down in tears and blamed herself for the incident, lamenting, “I made her come down here, it’s my fault,” according to The Daily Mail.
Good’s passing has sparked protests across Minneapolis calling for ICE to leave the city, amid what the Trump administration has described as a crackdown on illegal immigration.
Image credits: AntiTrumpCanada
In a social media post, the US president claimed the ICE officer was “willfully and viciously" run over by the Colorado Springs native.
"It is hard to believe he is alive, but is now recovering in the hospital," Trump wrote.
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Good was "stalking and impeding" ICE agents throughout the day and attempted to "weaponize” her SUV to hit the officer in an act of "domestic t*rrorism.”
While Donald Trump claimed the ICE officer fired at Good in self-defense, local authorities said the agent acted "recklessly"
Image credits: wcco
In contrast, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that after reviewing the video, he concluded it showed “an agent recklessly using power.”
During a press conference, Frey demanded that ICE “get the f**k out of Minneapolis,” arguing that the agency was not providing “safety” to American citizens but instead creating “chaos and distrust.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the state will conduct a “full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice."
People shared their thoughts on the Minneapolis incident amid the federal investigation
