America is a nation forged in courage, law, and strength, and its defenders deserve our unwavering support. The tragic fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis is a heartbreaking event that has shaken a community and a nation. My deepest condolences go out to Ms. Good’s family, a 37-year-old mother of three whose life, like all human life, mattered profoundly to her loved ones and her community. The pain of that loss is real, and no family should ever have to endure something like this.
Yet in the days since that painful morning, the national conversation has too often been hijacked by political theater instead of grounded in truth, justice, and law. What happened in Minneapolis must be examined fully and fairly, but it must also be understood in the broader context of defending our nation’s sovereignty and enforcing the rule of law.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not some fringe agency meant to be sidelined or scapegoated. It is a frontline defender of America’s borders and interior security. Under President Trump’s leadership, ICE has confronted cartel smugglers, human traffickers, MS-13 gang members, drug networks, and countless violent criminals. These are the forces that tear apart communities and threaten the safety of everyday Americans.
Minneapolis was the focus of Operation Metro Surge, a lawful federal initiative intended to address illegal immigration and the violent crime that often accompanies it. This operation, the largest of its kind in years, deployed agents to protect communities that had become overwhelmed by criminal alien activity. Federal officers were sent with a clear mission: to uphold federal law and protect the American people.
The shooting of Ms. Good occurred during a high-risk law enforcement operation, one in which agents are constantly faced with split-second decisions in life-or-death situations. The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that the ICE agent involved acted in accordance with his training and in defense of himself and his fellow officers. President Trump himself reviewed footage of the incident and affirmed the importance of backing officers who are trying to enforce the law under extremely difficult conditions.
We must remember that agents operate in a world where criminal actors exploit chaos. When officers are faced with a vehicle that could become a deadly weapon, the choices they make are agonizing and instantaneous. Even when outcomes are tragic, it is reckless to condemn law enforcement professionals without acknowledging the dangers they confront every day.
Defending ICE is not saying there is no pain. It is saying we must uphold law and safety. To the critics calling for the dissolution of ICE or for its agents to be criminally charged, I hear their pain. I hear the sorrow of Ms. Good’s family. But abolishing the very agency that protects our communities would be a betrayal of their sacrifice. Removing tools from the hands of lawful enforcers emboldens cartels, encourages illegal entry, and undermines public safety.
President Trump understands this. That is why his administration is appealing a federal judge’s restrictions on federal agents in Minnesota—because law enforcement must be empowered to act, not hamstrung by policies that leave officers vulnerable in the face of violent opposition.
Accountability should be real, transparent, and guided by law. But we cannot allow peaceful protest to be overshadowed by mob rule or attacks on our institutions. When churches are disrupted, when agents are doxxed, or when federal officials are harassed for doing their jobs, that is not justice. That is intimidation. The Department of Justice is right to pursue penalties against those who cross that line.
In times of national anguish, America has always found balance by honoring victims while fortifying institutions. ICE exists to keep Americans safe, to enforce immigration laws passed by Congress, and to protect our borders and cities from criminal exploitation.
Let us grieve with those who grieve, demand a fair review of this incident, and at the same time stand strong for the men and women who risk everything to protect our homeland. America cannot back down. America cannot retreat from law and order. And America certainly cannot survive without an ICE that is respected, supported, and empowered to carry out its vital mission.