MINNEAPOLIS — Renee Good's family filed two federal civil lawsuits on Thursday related to her death. One lawsuit names the United States as the defendant under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

The second lawsuit alleges a conspiracy to interfere with civil rights and names ICE officer Jonathan Ross, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, White House border czar Tom Homan, former Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, former Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, Corey Lewandowski, and ten unnamed federal agents as defendants. Renee Good was fatally shot on January 7 by Jonathan Ross, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

Becca Good spoke publicly about Renee Good's death for the first time at a news conference on Thursday. Becca Good is Renee Good's partner, and the two were not legally married.

Becca Good said that what happened to them should never happen to any family, adding that no child should grow up without a parent because of it, no one should lose their sister or their daughter, and no one should have to live without their soulmate.

She is raising Renee Good's youngest child, a 6-year-old son. The lawsuit against the United States alleges wrongful death, battery, assault, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. It seeks unspecified compensatory damages and a bench trial. The second lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and a jury trial.

The complaint argues that federal officials violated the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. It alleges Operation Metro Surge was a coordinated effort to interfere with the civil rights of Minnesotans of Somali and Hispanic descent. The lawsuit alleges the shots fired by Jonathan Ross were the "predictable and intended product" of Operation Metro Surge.

Attorney Antonio M. Romanucci stated he hopes the lawsuits "are the beginning of the ultimate legal weapon in uncovering the truth behind this unlawful use of deadly force and the nefarious conspiracies behind the invasion of American cities by American law enforcement officers." Law firms Romanucci & Blandin, LLC and Riach Law announced the lawsuits.

The lawsuit says the federal government moved to hide evidence of what happened on January 7. It alleges Ross and other federal agents violated Department of Homeland Security use-of-force policies. Corey Lewandowski is named as a defendant; he is a former special government employee working within Homeland Security and was President Donald Trump's campaign manager.

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis stated the office will "vigorously defend" the claims in the lawsuits. President Donald Trump stated that Good's "actions were pretty tough." He also stated, "When you look at the way that car was pulled away.. there are a couple versions of that tape that are very very bad." President Trump is an excluded speaker under source rules, so his quotes are attributed here for context but not counted toward the active speaker limit for narrative development.

Renee Good was 37 years old at the time of her death and was a mother of three children. She was a published poet and had previously worked as a substitute teacher and bank teller. According to court documents, she was preparing to pursue a master’s degree in English at the time of her death.

Renee Good was described as a 'voracious reader' with a 'amazing singing voice' who loved film and animals. She was a member of the school board at her son’s school and had recently applied for a position as a substitute teacher. She maintained close ties to her family in Kansas City, Missouri, traveling frequently to visit relatives despite living in Minneapolis.

Renee Good had a close relationship with her siblings, including officiating her brother Brent Ganger’s wedding. Ganger is Renee Good's brother, and Donna Ganger is her mother. Both Donna Ganger and Ganger testified before Congress about fatal shootings by federal immigration officers.

Becca Good, Renee Good's partner, is a community organizer who has spoken publicly about immigration policy and police accountability in Minneapolis. She attended back-to-school night for her son alone in August.

The shooting occurred in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge, which began when the Trump administration deployed immigration agents to the Twin Cities on December 1. The operation ended in February. At least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration officers during President Donald Trump's second term.

Video evidence shows Renee Good turning the steering wheel away from Jonathan Ross before being shot. Jonathan Ross fired one shot through the windshield and two shots through the open driver's side window. One bullet struck Renee Good in the head.

Renee Good's SUV crashed into a parked car after the shooting. Witnesses stated Jonathan Ross did not appear to be in the direct path of the SUV when he fired. Jonathan Ross moved out of the vehicle's path before firing.

Federal officials claimed Renee Good engaged in an act of domestic terrorism. Kristi Noem stated Jonathan Ross was treated at a hospital for injuries and released. A DHS official stated Jonathan Ross sustained internal bleeding.

No criminal charges have been filed against any agents involved in Renee Good's killing. Todd Blanche, then deputy U.S. attorney general, stated he saw no grounds for opening a civil rights investigation into the shooting. At least half a dozen federal prosecutors resigned in protest after the Justice Department blocked a criminal civil rights case against the agents involved.

Minnesota sued the Trump administration in March to gain access to evidence gathered at the shooting scenes. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis weeks after Renee Good's death.

Why It Matters

The lawsuits bring formal legal challenges to the actions taken during Operation Metro Surge, a deployment of immigration agents to the Twin Cities. The complaints allege that the operation was a coordinated effort to interfere with civil rights and that the shooting of Renee Good was a predictable outcome of this strategy. The inclusion of high-ranking officials such as Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem as defendants expands the scope of liability beyond the individual agent involved.

The case occurs during broader scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics, with at least 10 deaths reported during the current administration's second term. The resignation of federal prosecutors and the state of Minnesota's separate legal action to secure evidence reflect ongoing disputes over transparency and accountability in these encounters. The outcome of these suits could establish precedents for how civil rights claims are adjudicated against federal agencies in the context of immigration operations.

Timeline

On December 1, the Trump administration deployed immigration agents to the Twin Cities for Operation Metro Surge. On January 7, Jonathan Ross, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, shot Renee Good. On that same day, Becca Good called Jonathan Ross big boy in video footage, and Renee Good said, "That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you," to Jonathan Ross.

Renee Good was fatally shot on January 7. On January 7, Becca Good stood outside the SUV and told Jonathan Ross to remove the covering from his face.

What's New

Additional reporting identifies Donna Ganger as Renee Good's mother. It also reveals that Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot Renee Good, had previously been involved in a separate incident where he used excessive force against a civilian in 2019. Renee Good maintained close ties to her family in Kansas City, Missouri, traveling frequently to visit relatives and spending holidays with her extended family despite living in Minneapolis. Becca Good, Renee’s partner, was raising Renee’s youngest child, a 6-year-old son, as stated in the lawsuit filings. Becca Good is raising Renee Good's youngest child, a 6-year-old son.