Wisconsin Democrats are denouncing the Wednesday shooting death of a Minnesota woman by federal immigration agents, with some calling for ICE to be dismantled.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin Republicans are standing by law enforcement, accusing the woman of engaging in “domestic terrorism” and hinting that Democrats are inciting people to break the law.
Widely distributed videos show an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent draw his gun and shoot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in her SUV. Good attempted to drive forward on a Minneapolis road as another officer demanded she exit her vehicle.
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President Donald Trump and members of his administration said the agent who killed Good was acting in self defense. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have disputed that Wednesday, with Frey telling ICE to “get the f— out of the city.”
During a Thursday appearance on WPR’s “Wisconsin Today,” Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson called it a “tragedy all the way around” and said he’d like to see elected officials “stop inciting people to impede lawful operations.”
“Don’t obstruct justice,” said Johnson. “Don’t put yourself at risk. And again, this is a tragedy all the way around. It didn’t have to happen. Pretty common for these protesters to use vehicles to ram ICE agents. ICE agents have been put at risk.”
In a social media post, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin called for an investigation into the shooting death.
“But this we do know: Trump is sending in masked agents into our neighborhoods, is causing chaos, and is not making our communities any safer,” said Baldwin.
During a Wednesday interview with Stephen A. Smith, U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, said he’s not going to second-guess anything until there’s a thorough investigation of what happened.
“But it sure as heck looks like this is an act of domestic terrorism by this woman trying to run over a federal agent, and he was acting out of self defense,” said Van Orden.
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, posted on social media that “Donald Trump’s ICE just murdered a woman in cold blood” and suggested that if the agent who shot Good isn’t arrested and tried, the Department of Homeland Security “is a rogue agency lacking appropriate training and leadership.”
Democrats, Republicans running for governor weigh in
Wisconsin’s field of candidates running to replace outgoing Gov. Tony Evers also had a lot to say about who they thought was to blame for the Good’s death in Minneapolis.
On Thursday afternoon, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany sent a statement to WPR stating that “when a law enforcement officer repeatedly instructs someone to exit a vehicle and that person instead ignores the command and accelerates toward an officer, those choices can carry unfortunate consequences.”
“I respect the ongoing investigation into this tragic death and remain committed to restoring respect for the rule of law and supporting the men and women who enforce it,” said Tiffany.
Former Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes posted that “Trump said he would deport criminals, instead Americans are being killed.”
“Nothing about sending masked agents into our streets without accountability is making us safer,” said Barnes. “My heart is with Minnesota today and the victim’s family. This should have never happened.”
In a social media video, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, a Republican, criticized the comments about ICE agents from Frey, the Minneapolis mayor, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was a vice presidential candidate the 2024 election.
“The statements from the mayor, the statements from the governor, are ridiculous,” Schoemann said. “Let ICE do their work. We need to support law enforcement 100 percent.”
Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, called Wednesday’s shooting “a dark day in America” on social media and shared a fundraising link for Good’s family.
“No one should live in fear of their government murdering its own people when neighbors are trying to protect one another,” Hong said.
In a subsequent post, Hong said “dismantling ICE is the bare minimum” and “removing enforcers of fascism is not enough.”
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said in a written statement his “heart is with Renee Nicole Good and all who loved her.”
“When executive power is exercised without restraint, and when accountability is treated as hostility, we are no longer talking about public safety,” said Crowley. “We are talking about fear.”
Former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO Missy Hughes, who is also running for governor as a Democrat, said in a Wednesday post that she is “heartbroken” by Good’s killing by an ICE agent.
“There must be accountability to the fullest extent of the law for this shooting,” Hughes said. “We can do two things at once — uphold the law and protect human life.”
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