Mom of ICE Victim Renee Nicole Good Says She Voted Trump to Protect Family and Called It 'Madness'

Donna Ganger, the mother of Renee Nicole Good, revealed she voted for Donald Trump in 2024 to safeguard her family, only to watch her daughter fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis in January.

Speaking at a Capitol Hill forum on Tuesday, Ganger described the killing as 'madness' and demanded accountability from the administration of the candidate she voted for in 2024.

The remarks came months after protests over Operation Metro Surge and amid continuing investigations and scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

Good's death on 7 January was ruled a homicide by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, while Alex Pretti, 37, was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents on 24 January, drawing further public and political attention.

A Mother's Anguish Over ICE Violence

Ganger, a registered Republican from Valley Falls, Kansas, spoke at a Capitol Hill forum led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif. She told the lawmakers she had trusted Trump's immigration promises.

'I voted for President Trump under the impression that these agents were here to protect the citizens of the United States, innocents, like our family, and the others here, against terrorists, certainly not to accuse those of us here of being terrorists and take precious lives,' she said.

Good was in her car when ICE agent Jonathan Ross fired three shots. A preliminary independent autopsy commissioned by Good's family found gunshot wounds to her left forearm, right breast and left temple.

The administration claimed she tried to run over officers, with administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, publicly characterising Good in highly critical terms, including as a 'domestic terrorist' in the immediate aftermath.

Minneapolis officials said Good was not the subject of an immigration arrest, while federal officials defended the agent's actions and said Good's vehicle posed a threat.

Ganger's testimony highlighted the contrast between her reason for voting for Trump in 2024 and her subsequent criticism of federal immigration enforcement.

Calls for Accountability After Minneapolis Shootings

Among the forum's participants were families of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Ruben Ray Martinez and Stella Carlson, who recorded Pretti's fatal shooting. Carlson's footage showed Pretti, a VA ICU nurse, during an encounter with federal agents shortly before he was fatally shot, fuelling national debate over federal tactics.

Bovino was reassigned shortly after Pretti's death, with Trump's border czar Tom Homan taking command of the operation. Homan later announced the end of Operation Metro Surge on Feb. 12. Minnesota investigators have since obtained body-camera footage, officers' statements and physical evidence, including Good's vehicle, as prosecutors assess whether criminal charges are warranted.

Ganger described her family as a 'very American blend,' noting they may vote differently but 'love each other deeply. As a Christian, she said she knows how to forgive but still demands change. 'Thoughts and prayers are not enough. We need action. We need accountability,' she told the forum.

Trump, previously described both deaths as 'terrible' and said he felt 'even worse' about Good's death after noting that her parents were 'big Trump fans.' No criminal charge had been reported against Ross in connection with Good's death as of the latest available reporting, while Minnesota authorities continue to review the evidence.

'It is our instinct and our honor to protect our children,' Ganger said. 'Fast forward to today, and it is torture that, as her mom and as a family, we could not protect Renee. But no one can protect against others who are determined to disregard our country's constitutional rules and values. That is what happened on January 7.'

The investigation remains ongoing, and accounts of the shooting and the legal status of the case have differed. Claims about disputed events should be attributed to the relevant officials, witnesses or investigative findings.