Following the fatal shooting of Rene Good in Minneapolis, government officials defended the use of deadly force, despite ICE guidelines explicitly stating that lethal action should be a last resort.
Three individuals in blue uniforms stood in a line before a target, with one drawing a weapon from a holster. This was a training session for newly recruited ICE agents at a training center last year, reflecting a more aggressive enforcement approach tacitly endorsed by President Trump and his administration.
ICE instructions to agents clearly outline methods for de-escalating dangerous confrontations: use "minimal force" when removing individuals from vehicles; issue commands in a "professional," "firm," yet "courteous" tone. An internal ICE document providing legal guidance for vehicle stops states, "The first step in arresting a vehicle occupant is not to reach in and pull them out, unless exceptional circumstances warrant such action." The document, reviewed along with other training materials, emphasizes that ICE conducts thorough investigations into all enforcement encounters but permits "deadly force" only when an agent believes there is a threat to life.
Last week, an ICE agent shot and killed Rene Good in Minneapolis, with Trump administration officials quickly labeling the agent a "hero" and characterizing Ms. Good as a "villain." The incident has reignited public concern over whether federal agents enforcing President Trump's deportation policies are adequately prepared for urban street confrontations. The response from Trump and senior aides also highlights a departure from written protocols stating that deadly force should be used only as a last resort for self-defense.
While ICE guidelines stress de-escalating tense situations, Trump and his deputies have implicitly endorsed more aggressive tactics instead of adhering to these principles.
Weeks before the shooting, a senior ICE official directed agents to take "decisive action" if threatened. After the incident, Trump and other officials immediately claimed that Ms. Good attempted to drive toward the agent. However, video analysis suggests she was driving away from him at the time.
"The agent has absolute immunity," Vice President JD Vance stated last week regarding the ICE agent who killed 37-year-old Rene Good. "He was simply doing his job."
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security reaffirmed this stance to its agents by sharing a video on social media featuring White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Miller asserted, "You have immunity while performing your duties. No one—whether municipal or state officials, undocumented immigrants, left-wing agitators, or domestic insurgents—has the right to obstruct you from fulfilling your legal responsibilities."
In the days following Rene Good's death, tensions in Minneapolis escalated dramatically. Authorities reported that on Wednesday night, a federal agent shot and injured a man after being attacked, triggering hours of clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended ICE agents' tactics as appropriate.
"The entire Trump administration stands firmly behind our brave ICE agents," Jackson said in a statement. "They carry out their duties with the highest professionalism and integrity, safeguarding American communities. Using self-defense measures against someone employing a vehicle as a deadly weapon is not 'aggressive enforcement'—ICE agents have the right to defend themselves."
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin added, "ICE enforcement agents are professionally trained to use the minimum force necessary in dangerous situations, prioritizing public and their own safety," noting that agents are "proficient in de-escalation techniques."
The Minneapolis shooting also underscores risks associated with Trump's directive for ICE to conduct large-scale raids in major cities, placing agents in direct confrontations with hostile crowds. A 2021 Government Accountability Office report revealed that most ICE agents lack crowd control training, partly because the agency has historically focused on targeted arrests, which are lower-profile and less likely to involve public clashes.
Moreover, over the past four years, ICE has received $75 billion in new funding, more than doubling its personnel, with rapid recruitment ongoing. A former federal law enforcement academy official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of discussing DHS policies, revealed that training programs have been accelerated to accommodate new recruits, including reduced instruction on vehicle stops.
McLaughlin, however, denied that training for vehicle stops has been shortened.
Masked individuals in camouflage tactical vests were seen carrying a man in a fluorescent reflective jacket on all fours.
This week, ICE agents arrested a protester in Minneapolis. Internal DHS documents emphasize that de-escalation skills are critical in potentially volatile situations.
Federal law enforcement officers do not enjoy "absolute" immunity from prosecution. Although the U.S. Constitution makes it difficult for states to charge officers for actions taken in the line of duty, federal charges remain possible. Such an outcome appears unlikely in the Minneapolis case.
A Justice Department decision highlights the administration's priorities: it has chosen to investigate Ms. Good's widow and groups monitoring or protesting immigration enforcement, but has not launched a civil rights investigation into the actions of ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Deputy Attorney General Todd Branch stated that the shooting "lacks grounds for a criminal civil rights investigation."
Government officials stated that ICE will conduct an internal review of the incident.
With no indication that Trump intends to curb ICE's enforcement intensity, further clashes between agents and protesters are likely. On Tuesday, he posted on social media, "Great people of Minnesota, have no fear—accountability and punishment are coming!"
Scott Shuchart, a former senior ICE official under the Biden administration, remarked that the Trump administration's message to agents is to "ignore years or decades of professional training" and "disregard legal counsel."
The New York Times reviewed multiple internal DHS documents, including training materials, use-of-force guidelines, legal advice from ICE attorneys, and firearms policies. These materials, developed in 2025, accompany use-of-force guidelines issued in 2023.
The documents stress the importance of techniques to avoid escalating confrontations.
One file notes, "Where feasible, officers must employ de-escalation tactics through communication or other means during encounters to stabilize, delay, or reduce the intensity of potential violence."
It also outlines an "escalation of force" continuum that officers may follow.
The initial stage requires officers to maintain a "professional, courteous demeanor"; followed by verbal commands; then "soft techniques" such as "pressure point control" or "chemical agents"; escalating to "hard techniques" like "strikes with hands, arms, feet, legs, head, or body" or "impact weapons"; and finally, deadly force, including firearms, "neck restraints," and "edged weapons."
After using force, officers must receive "psychological first aid" as soon as possible.
Training materials clarify that officers may rapidly escalate force based on their judgment and may use deadly means when they or others face "imminent threat of serious physical injury or death."
In Ms. Good's case, whether Jonathan Ross was in imminent danger remains disputed.
Video footage from January 7 shows Ms. Good parked in a maroon SUV partially blocking the road, with several federal agents quickly surrounding the vehicle. One agent, using profanity, ordered her to exit before attempting to open the driver's door and reaching through the open window.
After Ms. Good began driving forward, Jonathan Ross, who had been walking in front of the vehicle while recording on his phone, fired the fatal shots.
Jonathan Ross is an experienced ICE agent who served as a firearms instructor at the agency's St. Paul, Minnesota field office and was a member of a tactical team receiving additional specialized training, which typically includes crowd control. Court records indicate Ross served in the Iraq War.
However, documents and interviews suggest that Ross and other ICE agents involved in the shooting may not have fully adhered to certain training protocols. Three former ICE officials noted that agents are typically warned to avoid standing directly in front of or behind a stopped vehicle to prevent being struck.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, another DHS agency, explicitly states in its online use-of-force policy that agents should "avoid standing directly in front of or behind a target vehicle."
Ross's attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
Despite limited oversight opportunities under the Trump administration, the DHS Office of Inspector General announced in an online notice that it is auditing ICE's recruitment and training processes.
Additionally, the office has initiated another audit focusing on how ICE investigates "allegations of excessive force" and disciplines involved agents.
This audit commenced earlier this month.
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