Democrats in the US Congress are threatening to withhold funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following the fatal shooting of a US citizen by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis. Renee Nicole Good, 37, was killed on Wednesday, prompting outrage among lawmakers who accuse the Trump administration of empowering the agency to carry out an increasingly violent enforcement campaign.
Video footage of the incident shows Good reversing her car and attempting to drive away when an agent shoots her multiple times. Despite claims from President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that the officer acted in self-defence, Democrats have called for accountability. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut wrote on X: “Democrats cannot vote for a DHS budget that doesn’t restrain the growing lawlessness of this agency.” Murphy is reportedly preparing a reform package requiring warrants for arrests, banning agents from wearing masks during operations, and limiting border patrol activities far from the border.
The killing has shifted public opinion, with a Pew Research Center poll showing 53% of Americans now believe the administration is doing “too much” on deportations, up from 44% in March. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described the shooting as “an abomination” and said “blood is clearly on the hands” of those pushing extreme policies. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called for a full federal investigation, comparing watching the video to “being punched” in the stomach.
The House passed several spending bills on Thursday ahead of a 30 January deadline, but funding for DHS remains unresolved. Republican Representative Mark Amodei, who chairs the DHS funding panel, acknowledged the shooting would “probably complicate the bill”. While some Democrats are wary of triggering another shutdown after last year’s bruising fight over healthcare subsidies, the incident has intensified calls for restraint. Another officer-involved shooting in Portland, Oregon, late on Thursday is likely to further escalate tensions.
