Members of Congress are escalating widespread calls for disciplinary action against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and increased oversight of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem following the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman during a federal enforcement operation last week.
The dispute is unfolding as Congress races to pass key appropriations packages ahead of a Jan. 30 government shutdown deadline. According to The Hill, one package that includes DHS funding is emerging as a potential leverage point.
The push for action centers on the Jan. 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good during an ICE operation in Minneapolis. As CatholicVote previously reported, Good was pronounced dead at the scene after an agent shot her. Noem and other officials within the Trump administration quickly accused Good of domestic terrorism and justified the shooting as an act of self-defense.
>> New footage of ICE shooting incident released reportedly from officers perspective <<
Noem stated in a Jan. 7 press conference that Good “attempted to use her vehicle to ram into the agent.” President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have echoed Noem’s stance, while Minnesota officials sharply disputed it, accusing the agent of using excessive force.
Lawmakers critical of both the ICE agent and the Trump administration’s handling of the situation are pushing for broader investigations, oversight, and legislative limits on federal immigration enforcement.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., recently suggested that ongoing disagreements over the deadly incident could lead to a government shutdown. On NBC News’ “Meet the Press” Jan. 11, Murphy said a shutdown would be “a decision for Republicans” if they refuse to negotiate on DHS reforms. Before the shooting, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that a shutdown was not on the table, according to Axios.
Murphy proposed specific reforms, Axios reported, such as legislation requiring warrants for arrests, banning masks during enforcement operations, and restricting Border Patrol agents to border duties.
In the House, Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota led a letter signed by 160 Democrats demanding “a professional, unbiased, and thorough investigation” into ICE’s actions. The letter, addressed to Noem and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, called for the immediate suspension of federal operations in Minneapolis and urged DHS to work “with an independent agency” to probe the shooting.
“This is not the first time your agents have used unnecessary force on civilians without provocation,” the letter stated. “You have lost the faith and confidence of the American people.”
The Trump administration’s FBI assumed full control of the investigation last week, controversially cutting off local and state officials’ access to evidence, as CatholicVote previously reported.
Some lawmakers have pushed beyond oversight and investigation, calling for direct punitive action against Noem.
Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., called for Noem’s impeachment in a Jan. 9 statement. Casten argued that the DHS under Noem has “sanctioned the murder and baseless arrest of American citizens, endangered communities throughout Illinois and the United States, subjected human beings to shockingly inhumane conditions in the name of racism and xenophobia, and denied due process to citizens and non-citizens alike.”
Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., said on CNN Jan. 10 that she would file articles of impeachment, while Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has called for subpoenaing Noem to testify.
House Homeland Security Democrats also produced a letter Jan. 8 pressing Republican leadership to summon Noem for questioning about the shooting.
Noem has rejected the criticism. Speaking on FOX News “Sunday Morning Futures” Jan. 11, she announced the deployment of “hundreds more” federal agents to Minnesota to ensure all agents can do their work “safely,” FOX reported. Her remarks come amid widespread protests across the country in the shooting’s wake.
Some lawmakers have also proposed increasing structural limits for federal immigration enforcement. According to The Hill, proposals include ending qualified immunity for ICE officers.
The standoff is expected to intensify as the DHS funding deadline approaches and the federal investigation into the shooting continues.