Additional Coverage:
ICE Faces Internal Turmoil Amidst Minneapolis Shooting Fallout
Minneapolis, MN – The fallout from last week’s fatal shooting of Minnesota resident Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross continues to reverberate internally within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to agency sources. The incident, and the subsequent public statements by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the President, have reportedly ignited a litany of issues within the agency, including a reluctance among agents to deploy to the Twin Cities.
Secretary Noem and the President swiftly declared Good a violent “domestic terrorist” and asserted Ross’s actions were justified and in line with his training, even before an official investigation had commenced. However, widely circulated video evidence of the shooting has presented a contradictory narrative, fueling public scrutiny and internal disquiet.
Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein’s recent reporting further highlights the escalating tensions. Klippenstein’s findings suggest that Minnesota residents are increasingly making “gun signs” with their hands when encountering ICE patrols. Leaked immigration enforcement documents indicate the Department is actively seeking “volunteers” for the Minneapolis mission, urging agents to maintain a low profile and strictly adhere to use-of-force policies.
This push for volunteers extends to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with a memo from CBP Acting Assistant Chief Joshua Andrew Post on Friday requesting personnel to “begin canvassing your personnel for volunteers.” A CBP agent familiar with the matter attributed this request to “unease in the ranks” following Good’s killing, noting, “We do have personnel but some just don’t want to go.”
A DHS official in Washington, speaking to Klippenstein, revealed a growing fear among some immigration officers for their safety in the wake of the shooting and the administration’s response. “There is genuine fear that indeed ICE’s heavy handedness and the rhetoric from Washington is more creating a condition where the officers’ lives are in danger rather than the other way around,” the official stated. They also expressed concern that new recruits may be more inclined towards confrontation, saying, “there is also dread that the gung-ho types that ICE and the Border Patrol are bringing in have a propensity towards confrontation and even violence.”
The discrepancy between official statements and video evidence has been particularly impactful. Secretary Noem’s claims that Good “attempted to run [agents] over and rammed them with her vehicle” have been challenged by the available footage, which does not clearly show the vehicle making contact with Ross. A Border Patrol agent reportedly told Klippenstein, “There is a video and [Noem] just lied.”
Two former agents from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, who left the agency in the past six months, voiced their “terror” regarding the impact of Ross’s shooting and the subsequent public outcry. One former agent noted, “Talking to colleagues in Minneapolis, they say it is not uncommon for people to drive past them and make gun signs with their fingers.”
Another lamented the loss of public respect, stating, “We used to be respected and liked by the public… That’s gone now.”
They also expressed concern that a change in administration could lead to the dissolution of ICE, a prospect they found “very sad.”
In response to the heightened tensions, a memo from Commander Greg Bovino to CBP agents on Tuesday included a “legal refresher” on the use of force and operational security measures. The guidance reportedly advises agents that profanity and rude gestures are not illegal, while also urging volunteers for Minneapolis to remove any signs of law enforcement affiliation near their hotels and disable location settings on their phones to avoid tracking.
A CBP official, reflecting on the situation, characterized it as “‘Us versus them’ on steroids,” and expressed concern that the perceived support from DHS leadership, even in the face of contradictory evidence, could embolden agents. “Kristi Noem lying her a– off on what happened is like saying to the federal agents on the ground: ‘Go ahead and do whatever you have to do.
We got your back. We will find a way to justify it,’” the official concluded.