Two recent shootings by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have sparked protests and debate across the nation.
An ICE agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman, Renée Nicole Good, in Minneapolis, MN, on Jan. 7. Several weeks later, on Jan. 24, a 37-year-old man, Alex Pretti, was killed in another shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
The United States Department of Homeland Security has described both shootings as acts of self-defense, labeling Good and Pretti as domestic terrorists who were attempting to harm ICE agents. However, Jason Keiber, an associate professor of international relations, does not think the label matches up with video footage of the shootings.
“The same day that Renée Good was shot, the secretary of homeland security was branding her a terrorist. That type of labeling is doing work in the public imagination … it’s shaping the narrative,” Keiber said.
The shootings have resulted in increased backlash against the President Donald Trump’s administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.
A Reuters poll conducted Jan. 23–25 showed that 39% of Americans approve of Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement, a new low for his second term. The same poll found that 58% of respondents believe ICE has gone “too far” in its crackdown.
Days after Pretti was shot, the Trump administration was reported to be considering dismissing Gregory Bovino, a top official in Trump’s immigration enforcement operations, from Minneapolis and relocating him to a Border Patrol sector in California.
The Trump administration has denied that the potential relocation signals as an intention to pull back on immigration operations nationwide.
“When you shoot somebody and the response of your boss is unequivocal support no matter what, the message to all ICE agents is, ‘No matter what you do, no matter whether it’s an illegal use of force, we’ve got your back,’” said Whitney Mannies, a professor in the Department of Politics and Global Citizenship.
“The push for more ICE agents has resulted in a workforce that is not as qualified as we would like it to be. So, I do think that push leads to situations that escalate more rapidly,” Keiber said when asked about potential explanations for the recent shootings.
Mannies said that ICE has become so politicized that it has become separated from normal law enforcement.
“I think there’s a politicization of ICE, so it’s clear to everybody that ICE is not just another law enforcement agency. This is a law enforcement agency expected to carry out a particular political, partisan will. It’s an extension of Trump rather than an extension of the law,” Mannies said.
The shootings and the federal government’s response have intensified debate over the scope and accountability of immigration enforcement. As the Trump administration continues to defend ICE’s actions, critics argue that the incidents raise broader questions about the agency’s use of force, political influence and oversight.
