ICE Agent Who Killed Minnesota Woman May Seek Money for “Defamation”

White House Border Czar Tom Homan suggested that ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, could pursue defamation lawsuits against those who have publicly called him a “murderer.”

Homan made the comments during an appearance on the Will Cain Country podcast, aired around January 13, 2026.

He described seeing inflammatory online content targeting Ross and emphasized the severe backlash the agent has faced.

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“I think things are so bad now, Will, you’re going to see that start happening … for this agent that was involved in the shooting, I think he’s going to wait for this investigation to play itself out and wait for them to come out with actual facts, what happened,” Homan said.

“Then I think you may see him take action because I know for a fact now he has to be in hiding. I seen a post this morning on the way to the studio here with his picture, ‘wanted for murder.’ It’s beyond the pale. So I think you’re going to see more of that happening now because they’re way over the line.”

Ross Goes Into Hiding Following Death of Woman

When host Will Cain pressed him on whether Ross was currently in hiding, Homan confirmed: “Yes. For the safety of him and his family. I mean, there are wanted posters with his picture, his license plate number. And the death threats against him and his family.”

Federal authorities have maintained that Ross acted in self-defense after Good accelerated her vehicle toward him or other agents during the incident — though footage shows Good only drove off (see below).

No criminal charges have been filed against Ross or any ICE personnel involved.

The FBI now leads the investigation exclusively, having withdrawn Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) from a previously agreed joint probe due to limited access to evidence and interviews.

State officials, including Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Attorney General Keith Ellison, are pursuing independent evidence collection but face significant constraints.

The case has ignited fierce political debate, with several Democratic lawmakers using strong language to describe the shooting.

Scrutiny Grows Like a Wildfire

Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota stated on social media that there was “no conscionable way” to view the video without seeing the agent “clearly murdering this woman.”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told reporters on January 7: “This has now become what we feared most about ICE for a long time—that it would be used as an anti-civilian force with no accountability.

At the end of the day, what we saw today was a murder, and murders in cold blood need to be prosecuted.”

Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts condemned the incident in a statement: “The murder of a woman in Minnesota by ICE agents in broad daylight is horrific and unacceptable.

This harrowing tragedy should never have happened, and my heart breaks for the victim, their loved ones, and the entire Minnesota community.”

Congressman Eric Swalwell told The Washington Post: “I see a bunch of masked, mother-murdering thugs who have drawn the foul.”

Homan’s remarks highlight growing concerns about the safety of federal agents amid heated rhetoric.

The podcast discussion referenced past cases, like Border Patrol agents falsely accused of whipping migrants, where defamation suits were considered but not pursued aggressively.

Homan indicated the current climate has shifted: “Immigration enforcement’s always been controversial, it’s always been, you know, tugging at the heartstrings. I get it. But, you know what? They’re way over the line now, so I think you’re going to see a lot more lawsuits coming here in the near future.”

Insights About Ross

Ross, a deportation officer with ICE since 2015 and a former Border Patrol agent, has a military background from his time in the Indiana Army National Guard (2002–2008), including an Iraq deployment.

He was previously injured in June 2025 when a suspect dragged him with a vehicle during an arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota; the driver was later convicted of assaulting a federal officer.

The shooting has triggered widespread protests against ICE operations, alongside reports of a GoFundMe for Ross that drew scrutiny and donations, including one from billionaire Bill Ackman who cited the presumption of innocence.

Donations grew upward of $1.5 million per Forbes but was shut down according to the latest reports.

Videos also capture Ross calling Good a “f—ing bitch” immediately after the shooting. 

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the newly released video backs up what the agency has said – that the ICE agent acted in self-defense.

Though a woman slowly driving off to avoid further conflict hardly seems like an attack that would call for such “self-defense” measures.

In these scenarios, departments stick together and the cry of the people don’t matter.

If U.S. departments can protect their own without holding individuals accountable, how can they be trusted to begin with?

Perhaps the death threats to Ross would not have surged had he been held accountable, rather than protected.

Renee Nicole Good was a 37-year-old mother of three who had just moved to the city.

She was a prize-winning poet and a hobby guitarist, who city leaders have said was there as a legal observer of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities.

The Trump administration has called her a “domestic terrorist”.

What Happens Now?

As the FBI investigation proceeds without state involvement, the potential for defamation litigation could test the boundaries between protected political speech and reputational harm—particularly when public figures label uncharged individuals as murderers in high-stakes immigration cases.

This developing story reflects deep divisions over federal immigration tactics, officer accountability, and the real-world consequences of inflammatory public statements.