ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Sunday, Jan. 18, US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the US Department of Justice will not investigate Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross for the fatal shooting of Renée Good.
Renée Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old mother and wife from Minneapolis, was killed in her vehicle on Jan. 7 by Ross. Good and her wife, Rebecca, were responding to community concerns about ICE activity in their neighborhood. Within hours, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Trump blamed Good for the shooting and called Good and her wife domestic terrorists.
Members of the Minnesota Bicameral Queer Legislators Caucus issue the following statement:
“Renée Good should still be alive today. Her death is a tragedy that was completely avoidable. Renée, her wife, and her children deserve a full investigation into the circumstances of her killing. Instead, the federal administration has callously blamed Renée for her own death.
“This is a deplorable abuse of power. Under any other circumstance where a life is taken, an investigation is conducted, and the judicial system guarantees due process. To deny an investigation is to deny justice. It ensures that the perpetrator, Johnathan Ross, is never held accountable for his actions.
“The Minnesota Queer Legislators Caucus demands the arrest of Jonathan Ross for the killing of Renée Good, a US citizen exercising her First Amendment right.
“We demand that ICE, Customs and Border Patrol, and other federal agents cease their occupation of our neighborhoods and leave Minnesota immediately. We demand that Congress deny future funding to Homeland Security, investigate and fire agents and leaders responsible for abusing Minnesotans’ civil liberties, and repeal the funding for federal immigration enforcement provided in the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ We demand that DHS upholds Tribal sovereignty and its government-to-government responsibilities: immediately release all Native people held by ICE and put an end to racial profiling, civil liberties abuses, and deliberate treaty violations. Native and Two Spirit people are the first Americans of this land; Indigenous rights are non-negotiable.
“We must have justice and due process for Renée Good and for all of our neighbors. The Constitution demands nothing less.”
The Minnesota Queer Legislators Caucus is composed of members of the Minnesota State House and Senate who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+. The Queer Caucus works to advance and protect the rights of queer communities as well as the rights of our intersecting communities.
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