Minnesota Shut Out of ICE Shooting Investigation, Raising Fears Accountability Will Never Come

Minnesota officials say the investigation into the fatal ICE-related shooting of Renee Nicole Macklin Good, 37, is being shut off from independent state review, raising fears that accountability may never materialize under the Trump administration’s aggressive support of ICE.

According to Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans, state investigators were initially set to jointly examine the shooting alongside federal partners. That plan abruptly changed when federal authorities “reversed course” and placed the case solely under the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Evans said the move means the BCA “would no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation.”

“Without complete access to the evidence, witnesses and information collected, we cannot meet the investigative standards that Minnesota law and the public demands,” Evans said, adding that the state now must rely on federal officials to share their findings.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called the decision “very concerning,” warning that blocking state participation damages public trust. “Hopefully they’ll reverse it,” he said, describing efforts to persuade federal officials to change course.

Video recorded by bystanders shows ICE officers surrounding Good’s vehicle, with one officer firing multiple shots at close range as the car began to move. An analysis by The New York Times found the footage contradicted the Trump administration’s claim that the shots were purely defensive. Despite this, administration officials labeled Good’s actions “domestic terrorism,” a framing Minnesota leaders strongly reject.

At the White House, Vice President JD Vance dismissed calls for state involvement, saying the officer was “doing the job that he was asked to do” and should be shielded from scrutiny. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz responded that excluding state professionals makes it “very, very difficult that we will get a fair outcome.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended ICE’s actions and attacked state leadership, while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey accused federal officials of avoiding an impartial review, saying they “don’t want an impartial investigation.”

The shooting comes as ICE tactics in Minneapolis already face a federal lawsuit alleging agents threatened peaceful observers with guns and chemical agents. With hearings paused and state investigators sidelined, Minnesota officials fear that under a pro-ICE federal posture, transparency,  and justice,  may never come.

Link: Politico