Illinois Democrats express outrage, seek full investigation into ICE fatal shooting of Minnesota woman
Jan 07, 2026
Illinois Democrats are demanding a full investigation into the death of a woman at the hands of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, with some calling it a "murder" and an "execution." The woman was fatally shot Wednesday during a traffic stop in a residential neighborhood ju
st south of downtown Minneapolis. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called it “an act of domestic terrorism” by a woman who “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle.”Noem said an officer “acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him.” Videos taken by witnesses show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The Honda Pilot begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the vehicle at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him, according to the Associated Press. It's unclear whether the vehicle made contact with the officer.The woman, whose name wasn’t immediately released, is at least the fifth death linked to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations. Silverio Villegas González died on Sept. 12 after being shot as he allegedly tried to flee from ICE agents in suburban Franklin Park. Body camera footage first obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times shows the federal agent telling local police he was “dragged a little bit.” Speaking over the radio, his partner relays the agent suffered “a left knee injury and some lacerations to his hands.”Villegas González had no criminal history, but DHS has said he had “a history of reckless driving” and was in the country without legal status.Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wrote on social media that Americans are "living in constant fear of what the Trump administration may do next," and he accused DHS and ICE of "lies and lawlessness." "Shame on those using these moments to incite terror," Pritzker said. U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia said he is "heartbroken and outraged" by what he called a "murder." U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson called it "an execution in our streets." "This tragedy occurred less than a mile from the hallowed ground where George Floyd was murdered during Donald Trump’s first term," Jackson said in a statement. "It is a chilling and devastating reminder that the cycle of state-sanctioned violence against our communities has not only continued but has been weaponized under this administration’s 'Operation Metro Surge.'"Sen. Tammy Duckworth is calling for an immediate investigation into the ICE officer who fired the shot. She wrote on X, “ICE is clearly not making us safer. This needs to stop.” And Sen. Dick Durbin called the death "tragic, heartbreaking and enraging" but urged protesters to "remain peaceful." “A full investigation must be completed so the truth can be revealed," Durbin said in a statement. "Video of the incident starkly contradicts DHS’s narrative, and the fact that DHS has jumped to characterize this shooting in ‘self-defense’ is rushed, at best, and a lie, at worst."Three top Democrats vying to replace Durbin in the March 17 primary all said they would push for answers about the death, with Rep. Robin Kelly saying the death was enough for her to plan to file three articles of impeachment against Noem. "Secretary Noem wreaked havoc in the Chicagoland area, and now, her rogue ICE agents have unleashed that same destruction in Minneapolis, fatally shooting Renee Nicole Good,” Kelly said in a statement. “From Chicago to Charlotte to Los Angeles to Minneapolis, Secretary Noem is violating the Constitution while ruining — and ending — lives, and separating families. It’s one thing to be incompetent and dangerous, but it’s impeachable to break the rule of law."U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said he will be “demanding full answers and accountability from the Trump administration” over a “horrific loss of life.”“This is Donald Trump’s America: a woman is dead because ICE is operating with impunity in our neighborhoods,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement. “...When federal agents are unleashed without restraint or oversight, the consequences are deadly — and the responsibility for this killing is on their hands.”Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton called the shooting “horrific.”“Rejecting authoritarianism should not be a death sentence in the United States of America,” Stratton said. “We need answers and we need ICE out of our communities.”Rep. Brad Schneider called the fatal shooting "a stain on our entire nation." "Sending strength to the Minneapolis community. Chicagoland knows all too well the trauma and terror Trump's chaotic immigration operations bring to otherwise peaceful communities," Schneider said. "Our President should be making America and Americans safer. He is failing.”
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