Noem defends ICE officer who shot girl in Minneapolis as having “adopted his coaching”

Washington — Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem held a information convention Thursday in New York Metropolis at some point after U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement officer fatally shot a U.S. citizen throughout an operation in Minneapolis. Noem introduced the “takedown” of dozens of individuals suspected to be related to the Dominican Republic-based gang Trinitarios.

But it surely was the taking pictures demise of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis that was the main target of reporters’ questions, because the incident has sparked protests within the Twin Cities and elsewhere, together with New York. Noem mentioned Wednesday that the actions of the lady who was shot constituted a “home act of terrorism.” On Thursday, Noem mentioned the ICE officer concerned “did comply with his coaching.” 

“That is an skilled officer who adopted his coaching, and we are going to proceed to let the investigation unfold into the person and proceed to comply with the procedures and insurance policies that occur in these use of pressure instances,” she mentioned. 

The ICE agent who opened fireplace yesterday relies in Minneapolis and has over 10 years of expertise, a senior DHS official advised CBS Information. He’s a member of the ICE ERO Particular Response Staff (SRT), a specifically educated tactical unit inside ICE Enforcement and Removing Operations.

The identical agent was concerned in a separate incident in June the place, in accordance with a senior DHS official, he was dragged by a car whereas attempting to apprehend a fleeing suspect. Based on court docket data and the suspect’s protection legal professional from that June 17, 2025, incident, the agent’s identify is Jonathan Ross. 

Court docket data present Ross has been working with ICE in Minnesota since a minimum of 2017.

Minnesota officers say the FBI has blocked them from accessing key info. Noem mentioned native authorities in Minnesota haven’t been “reduce out” of the investigation. 

“They haven’t been reduce out,” she mentioned. “They have no jurisdiction on this investigation.”

The Trump administration has deployed about 2,000 federal immigration and investigative brokers to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to crack down amid the state’s fraud scandal. 

Trump administration officers have mentioned the taking pictures was in self-defense, whereas Minneapolis’ mayor and Minnesota’s governor have indicated in any other case after footage of the incident was posted on-line. Town of Minneapolis mentioned police responded to a name reporting a taking pictures round in a Minneapolis neighborhood, and upon arrival, discovered {that a} girl in a car had been shot within the head. She was pronounced lifeless at an area hospital. 

On Wednesday, Noem mentioned any lack of life is a “tragedy” however alleged that this incident was “preventable.”

“ICE officers and brokers approached the car of the person in query, who was blocking the officers in together with her car,” Noem mentioned Wednesday evening. “And he or she had been stalking and impeding their work all all through the day. ICE brokers repeatedly ordered her to get out of the automotive and to cease obstructing legislation enforcement, however she refused to obey their instructions. She then proceeded to weaponize her car and she or he tried to run a legislation enforcement officer over.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey expressed outrage over the taking pictures, directing a message to federal immigration officers — “get the f*** out of Minneapolis.”

Noem on Thursday mentioned Frey “selected to face with illegals” together with his statements, and criticized Democratic officers in Minnesota for his or her responses to the incident. 

Concerning the arrests and deportations of individuals suspected to be related to Trinitarios, Noem mentioned the group is behind the July 2025 taking pictures of an off-duty Customs and Border Safety officer in Manhattan. Federal authorities mentioned the overwhelming majority of these folks had both prices or convictions, and all have been within the U.S. illegally. 

“We have arrested 54 people as part of Operation Salvo since its inception just some months in the past,” Noem mentioned. “These arrested are violent transnational gang members and associates related to Trinitarios who’re accountable for weapons trafficking, for human smuggling, for narcotics distribution and for armed robberies. They’d perpetuated earlier violent assaults throughout town of New York Metropolis.”