Minnesota Federal Prosecutors Fired Amid ICE Shooting Investigation Dispute

Several federal prosecutors in Minnesota were formally terminated Wednesday following their resignations over disagreements with the Justice Department’s handling of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shooting investigation.

The Department of Justice, acting under the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, fired five prosecutors from the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Joseph Thompson, the office’s second-in-command, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The internal disputes first came to public attention in a New York Times report. Prior to their dismissal, the prosecutors had been positioned to receive months of paid leave, sources indicated.

Thompson had been leading a major investigation into welfare fraud in Minnesota before his departure. His resignation followed disagreements with Washington officials over the investigation of a January 7 incident where an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good.

During a call with DOJ and FBI officials last week, Thompson reportedly expressed support for investigating the shooting as an assault on or obstruction of a law enforcement officer. According to sources, he indicated his belief that the shooting was justified. Melinda Williams, another of the terminated prosecutors who had worked on the fraud investigation, was also present during this call.

Video evidence of the shooting shows an ICE agent firing at Good at close range after she accelerated her vehicle toward the agent who was standing in front of it. Critics contend the agent improperly used deadly force, arguing that Good had turned her wheels away from the agent before accelerating.

The FBI has taken control of the investigation and has excluded Minnesota prosecutors from the probe. The Trump administration has defended this decision, stating that federal authorities should handle cases involving federal officers. Meanwhile, Minnesota leaders have denounced the FBI’s exclusionary approach and launched their own parallel investigation.

While Thompson supported investigating the incident as an offensive against law enforcement rather than a civil rights matter against the agent, sources indicate he expressed reservations about the DOJ’s plans to also investigate Good’s widow and other potential co-conspirators.

The FBI reportedly uncovered evidence suggesting that Good and her spouse had been following ICE officers on the day of the shooting. This information aligns with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s recent statements that Good had been “stalking and impeding” ICE throughout the day and had “weaponized” her vehicle, with the agent firing out of fear for his life.

In contrast, Good’s spouse, Becca, told Minnesota Public Radio that they had “stopped to support their neighbors” on the day of the shooting, adding, “We had whistles. They had guns.”

The incident has created sharp political divisions. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other Democratic leaders have praised the prosecutors who resigned, characterizing their departures as principled stands against the DOJ. “These prosecutors are heroes, and the people pushing to prosecute Renee’s widow are monsters,” Frey wrote on social media platform X.

Despite the investigation into Becca Good as part of a broader probe into potential conspiracies to hinder federal law enforcement operations, there is currently no indication that the DOJ plans to bring charges against her.

The case has intensified tensions between federal immigration enforcement and local authorities in Minnesota, a state with a history of high-profile law enforcement controversies. The divergent investigations by federal and state authorities underscore the complex jurisdictional and political dimensions of cases involving federal agents operating in local communities.