Former ICE acting Director John Sandweg has sharply criticised Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for claiming a woman fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis was committing “domestic terrorism.” Speaking on CNN, Sandweg said, “I find that to be an incredibly irresponsible statement,” and stressed that early departmental information is “almost always wrong.” The 37-year-old victim, identified as Renee Nicole Macklin Good, was shot and killed in her car Wednesday after video showed masked officers approaching her vehicle. Footage captured the moment an officer fired multiple shots when Good reversed and then drove forward, an incident Noem later described as self-defence, alleging the victim had “attacked” officers and tried to run them over.
The shooting has ignited anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, with local leaders calling for the agency’s exit. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said “People are being hurt,” while urging residents to “show up with peace,” adding that ICE actions were “doing exactly the opposite” of keeping Americans safe. “Families are being ripped apart,” Frey said. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued a “warning order” Wednesday to ready the state National Guard, with Joint Staff Director Simon Schaefer confirming preparations across its 13,000 personnel, including equipment checks and service member notifications. The incident has deepened political tensions around the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.