UN demands swift, independent probe into ICE shooting of Minnesota woman as protests, lawsuits escalate
The United Nations on Monday urged a rapid, independent and transparent investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis last week, as protests spread and Minnesota filed suit against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
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“Under international human rights law, the intentional use of lethal force is only permissible as a measure of last resort against an individual representing an imminent threat to life,” Jeremy Laurence, spokesman for the UN human rights office in Geneva, told reporters. “We take note of the FBI investigation and insist on the need for prompt, independent and transparent investigation into the killing.”
Authorities say Good was shot in her car by an ICE agent on Wednesday. Her death ignited anger across the Twin Cities and beyond, with daily vigils in Minneapolis and demonstrations in cities across the country. Thousands marched in New York over the weekend.
Competing narratives about the encounter have sharpened the political stakes. President Donald Trump has sought to paint Good as a “domestic terrorist,” insisting the agent acted in self-defense. Local officials dispute that account, saying footage from the scene shows Good’s vehicle turning away from the agent and not posing a threat to his life. Protesters and Democratic leaders have called for a full accounting of the incident and criticized the decision to keep local authorities at arm’s length while the FBI leads the investigation.
The clash over the shooting comes as federal immigration enforcement intensifies in Democratic-led states. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Monday announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that a surge of federal immigration officers into the state has “made us less safe.”
“Thousands of poorly trained, aggressive and armed agents of the state, of the federal government, have rolled into our communities,” Ellison said at a news conference. “The obvious targeting of Minnesota for our diversity, for our democracy and our differences of opinion with the federal government, is a violation of the Constitution and federal law. This is, in essence, a federal invasion.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey accused the White House of political targeting tied to the city’s Democratic leadership. “If the goal were simply to look for people who are undocumented, Minneapolis and Saint Paul would not be the place you would go,” Frey said, noting there are “countless more” undocumented residents in Florida, Texas and Utah — states with Republican leadership.
Illinois, also targeted by the administration’s immigration push, filed a similar suit against the federal government on Sunday.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the ICE officer’s actions in television interviews, saying the agent fired in self-defense when Good drove her car at him — a claim local officials reject. Noem said hundreds more federal agents were headed to Minneapolis amid the continuing protests and vigils.
The UN’s call heightens scrutiny on the FBI’s handling of the case, underscoring a growing demand from civil rights groups and elected officials for an investigation that is not only thorough, but perceived as independent. While federal authorities have defended the enforcement surge, critics say the increased presence of armed agents, coupled with a lack of local oversight in critical incidents, is deepening tensions in communities already on edge.
As the legal fight intensifies and the FBI inquiry proceeds, demonstrators are keeping pressure on city and federal officials, demanding transparency about what happened to Good and accountability for any misuse of force.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
