Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is urging the Department of Justice to pursue domestic terrorism charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an ICE agent, even though the woman was killed during the encounter, according to officials and Noem’s own statements.
The woman, later identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, died January 7 after a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot her during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Federal officials maintain the agent fired in self-defense after alleging Good attempted to use her vehicle against law enforcement.
In statements reported by DHS and other outlets, Noem described Good’s actions as part of a broader threat she says law enforcement faces. Noem claims Good “attacked them and those surrounding them and attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle.” She added that an ICE officer “acted quickly and defensively shot to protect himself and the people around him” and characterized the incident as “an act of domestic terrorism.”
At a press conference shortly after the incident, Noem defended federal law enforcement, saying that “our officer followed his training, did exactly what he’s been taught to do in that situation.” She also alleged that the woman “attempted to run a law enforcement officer over” during the operation.
Noem’s use of the term “domestic terrorism” in this context has drawn attention because domestic terrorism statutes are typically applied to criminal prosecutions — not incidents where the subject is deceased — raising questions about how the Justice Department might respond.
Local officials sharply disputed the federal account. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said video of the encounter did not match federal claims, declaring at a news briefing that the government narrative was “garbage” and that he had seen footage showing Good pulling away from agents rather than driving toward them.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also called for a full investigation and pushed back against the federal framing of the shooting.
As of now, the Department of Justice and independent investigators are reviewing the incident. Federal and local authorities have not announced specific terrorism charges related to Good’s death, and ongoing probes by state and federal agencies are expected to cover law enforcement conduct, use of force, and whether statutes such as domestic terrorism apply.
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