The killing of a Minnesota woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is reverberating across Capitol Hill, where Democrats and certain Republicans are vowing an assertive response as President Trump’s aggressive deportation operations spark protests nationwide.
Lawmakers are demanding a range of actions, from a full investigation into Renee Good’s shooting death and policy changes over law enforcement raids to the defunding of ICE operations and the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in what is fast becoming an inflection point.
“The situation that took place in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said as details emerged. “And in the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong and forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats.”
Yet there is almost no consensus among the political parties in the aftermath of the death of Good, who was behind the wheel of an SUV after dropping off her 6-year-old at school when she was shot and killed by an ICE officer.
The killing immediately drew dueling narratives. Mr. Trump and Noem said the ICE officer acted in self-defense, while Democratic officials said the Trump administration was lying and they urged the public to see the viral videos of the shooting for themselves.
Vice President JD Vance blamed Good, calling it “a tragedy of her own making,” and said the ICE officer may have been “sensitive” from having been injured during an unrelated altercation last year.
But Good’s killing, at least the fifth known death since the administration launched its mass deportation campaign, could change the political dynamic.
“The videos I’ve seen from Minneapolis yesterday are deeply disturbing,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, in a statement.
“As we mourn this loss of life, we need a thorough and objective investigation into how and why this happened,” she said. As part of the investigation, she said she is calling for policy changes, saying the situation “was devastating, and cannot happen again.”
Homeland Security funding up for debate
The push in Congress for more oversight and accountability of the administration’s immigration operations comes as lawmakers are in the midst of the annual appropriations process to fund agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, to prevent another federal government shutdown when money expires at the end of January.
As anti-ICE demonstrations erupt in cities in the aftermath of Good’s death, Democrats have pledged to use any available legislative lever to apply pressure on the administration to change the conduct of ICE officers.
“We’ve been warning about this for an entire year,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Florida Democrat.
The ICE officer “needs to be held accountable,” Frost said, “but not just them, but ICE as a whole, the president and this entire administration.”
Congressional Democrats saw…
Read More: Congress debating possible consequences for ICE after Renee Good’s death
