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DHS Secretary Kristi Noem says ICE agent was justified in fatal shooting of Minneapolis woman after mayor disputes DHS account

<i>Stephen Maturen/Getty Images via CNN Newsource</i><br/>

By CNN Newsource

Published January 7, 2026 7:25 pm

By Emma Tucker, Taylor Romine and CNN Staff

Minneapolis (CNN) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem traveled to Minneapolis Wednesday after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in the city earlier in the day. Noem defended the agent’s actions, saying the woman had attempted to run an agent over in an act of “domestic terrorism.”

“This appears as an attempt to kill or to cause bodily harm to agents, an act of domestic terrorism,” Noem said, adding the ICE agent responded by firing “defensive shots.”

The woman has been identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, according to US Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat. Good’s mother told the Minnesota Star Tribune her daughter lived in the Twin Cities with her partner.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in an earlier news conference said he is preparing the state National Guard for possible deployment after the fatal shooting. Earlier, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey disputed the DHS account of Wednesday’s incident and told ICE agents to “get the f–k out of Minneapolis.”

The shooting happened as Minnesota faces an immigration crackdown amid a nationwide enforcement push by the Trump administration. Around 2,000 federal agents were being deployed to Minneapolis, two law enforcement sources told CNN.

Wednesday’s fatal shooting has increased tensions in Minneapolis after weeks of strain from immigration enforcement, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said.

“I have been worried – not that federal law enforcement activity was happening, but how that enforcement was taking place in the city,” O’Hara told CNN’s Erin Burnett. “And I have specifically said I’ve been worried we would have a tragedy in our community.”

He noted that his department, and many police departments around the country, have been trained “with a very, very strong emphasis on de-escalation” to try and prevent officers or civilians from being injured.

O’Hara said he is not aware of the injured ICE officer’s identity. He said when he asked about any other injuries at the shooting scene, he was told “only the woman” was hurt, although it’s not immediately clear which agency he got that information from.