The family of Renee Good has taken legal action against the federal government and several high-ranking Trump administration officials, filing two separate civil lawsuits nearly nine months after the 37-year-old was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.
Attorneys announced Thursday that one lawsuit targets the United States government directly under the Federal Tort Claims Act. That filing alleges wrongful death, battery, assault, false imprisonment, emotional distress and negligence on the part of federal agents involved in the January 7 incident.
The second lawsuit names ICE officer Jonathan Ross as the individual who fired the fatal shot. It also names White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as defendants.
Good’s brother Brent Ganger issued a statement saying he stands with fierce determination to seek accountability for his sister, her children and the country. He called the shooting a violation of American values and said the Constitution must guide the nation back to decency and the rule of law.
Good was shot while seated in the driver’s seat of her SUV during a confrontation with Ross. The killing took place roughly one month after the Trump administration deployed approximately 3,000 immigration agents to the Twin Cities region as part of what officials called Operation Metro Surge. The operation drew widespread protests and pushback from Minnesota state leaders before it was shut down in February.
Cellphone video captured the encounter and showed Good’s partner standing outside the vehicle and speaking to Ross before the situation escalated. Witnesses said Ross did not appear to be directly in the path of the SUV when shots were fired. The vehicle ultimately crashed into a parked car after the shooting.
Trump administration officials including the president and Noem defended Ross and claimed Good had attempted to run the officer over. A DHS official previously stated Ross suffered internal bleeding during the incident.
Family attorney Antonio M. Romanucci said the lawsuits are intended to expose what he called an unlawful use of deadly force and broader conspiracies surrounding the federal enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
The shooting was one of two fatal incidents involving federal immigration agents in the Twin Cities during that period. Alex Pretti, also 37, a nurse, was shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis weeks after Good’s death. Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the White House responded to requests for comment regarding the newly filed lawsuits.