Renee Good’s Family Sues U.S. Government Over ICE Murder

The family of Renee Good, the 37-year-old Minneapolis woman fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent earlier this year, has filed two federal lawsuits seeking to hold the U.S. government, the agent who fired the shots and several federal officials responsible for her death.

Good was killed on Jan. 7, 2026, during Operation Metro Surge, a major federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.

Her death quickly became one of the most closely watched incidents involving federal immigration officers this year, fueling protests, congressional scrutiny and questions about the government’s use-of-force policies.

Now her family is taking the fight to federal court.

The two lawsuits, filed Oct. 1 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, pursue separate legal theories over the shooting.

One complaint names the United States as the defendant and was filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows people in certain circumstances to seek damages from the federal government for alleged wrongdoing by federal employees.

That lawsuit includes claims of wrongful death, battery, assault, false imprisonment, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and other alleged misconduct.

Good’s brother, Brent Ganger, brought the action on behalf of members of the family, including Good’s three children, parents, siblings and partner, Becca Good.

The family is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

A second lawsuit takes aim at individual federal officials.

That complaint names ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots that killed Good, along with several current and former federal officials, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The lawsuit also names other officials connected to the federal immigration operation.

It alleges that Good’s death was part of a broader violation of constitutional rights and accuses the defendants of conspiring to interfere with civil rights during the immigration crackdown.

Those claims remain allegations and have not been proven in court.

Attorneys for Good’s family also allege that Ross used excessive and unconstitutional force during the encounter.

Good was inside her vehicle when Ross fired through the window. Video of the confrontation circulated widely after the shooting and has become a central piece of evidence cited by the family’s attorneys.

The family’s complaint says Good was shot three times as she attempted to drive away from the encounter.

Federal officials have previously defended the actions of officers involved in the operation and disputed accusations that the shooting amounted to unlawful force.

The lawsuits are likely to place renewed scrutiny on exactly what happened in the seconds before Ross opened fire, including whether Good presented an immediate threat and whether the use of deadly force complied with federal policy.

The legal action comes shortly after Good’s mother, Donna Ganger, and brother Brent appeared on Capitol Hill to discuss her death and call for greater accountability involving federal immigration officers.

During the September hearing, Donna Ganger told lawmakers that her daughter “should still be alive.”

She also told lawmakers that she is a registered Republican who voted for President Donald Trump and had initially supported his immigration policies, but said her daughter’s death changed how she viewed the conduct of federal immigration agents.

Brent Ganger delivered an equally forceful message.

“Our family has waited, our country has waited, and we will not wait any longer,” he said. “The time is absolutely now for accountability for the deep damage done by ICE and others.”

The family’s lawsuits also arrive amid continuing scrutiny of Operation Metro Surge and other encounters involving federal immigration personnel.

Good’s death was followed by other controversial confrontations involving immigration officers, increasing calls from lawmakers and civil-rights advocates for clearer accountability and use-of-force standards.

The legal battle could now stretch for months or longer.

Claims against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act face specific procedural and legal requirements, while claims against individual federal officials can raise additional questions involving immunity and whether the officials can personally be held liable.

Those issues could become major points of contention before the lawsuits ever reach a jury.

For Good’s family, however, the cases represent their most significant attempt yet to force a court to examine the circumstances surrounding her death.

No court has determined that Ross or any of the other defendants violated Good’s constitutional rights, and the government is expected to contest the family’s allegations.

The lawsuits seek a jury trial and financial damages as the family continues pressing for answers nearly nine months after Good was killed.