WASHINGTON — The mother of Renee Good, the Minneapolis woman fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in January, traveled to Washington this week to demand accountability before Congress — telling lawmakers her family will not move on until someone answers for her daughter's death.
Donna Ganger testified Tuesday, Sept. 22, at a congressional spotlight forum examining fatal shootings at the hands of federal immigration agents, hosted by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.). Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) also heard testimony from the witnesses.
Ganger began with a confession that stunned the room: she is a registered Republican who voted for President Donald Trump, believing federal immigration agents would protect innocent Americans.
"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," Ganger testified. "This is madness."
Renee Good, 37, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, was shot and killed by an ICE officer on Jan. 7 while in her car on Portland Avenue South in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration enforcement surge. City officials said she was a legal observer of immigration enforcement and was not a target for arrest. Her death sparked nationwide protests.
"As a parent, it is our instinct and our honor to protect our children. Fast forward to today and it is torture that as her mom and as her family, we could not protect Renée. But no one can protect against others who are determined to disregard our country's constitutional rules and values," Ganger said.
She told lawmakers she is a Christian and has found it in herself to forgive — but that forgiveness does not mean accepting what happened.
"Our family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the community in Minneapolis, from people across the country and around the world. The prayers and words of support have truly brought us comfort. It is meaningful that these sentiments have come from people of all colors, faiths and ideals. That is a perfect reflection of Renee. But thoughts and prayers are not enough. We need action. We need accountability. We need this never, ever to happen again and destroy another family or another community."
Ganger was joined by her oldest son, Brent Ganger, Renee's brother, who told lawmakers there has been "no accountability" since the shooting — and that state and local authorities seeking evidence for their own investigation have been denied access.
"You've heard from my mother that she is a Republican, and that I consider myself moderate. We have other family members who lean more to the left," Brent Ganger said in written testimony. "Our family proves that even in the darkest of times, we can and should stay united. We expect nothing less from the leaders in this country and in Congress."
"We all want our law enforcement officers to perform at the highest standards, but when they don't, it shouldn't matter who their employer is. There should be a path to justice for those they harm."
A third witness, Stella Carlson, was the bystander who recorded the killing of Alex Pretti — who was fatally shot by Customs and Border Protection agents on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. Pretti was shot at least 10 times, and Carlson's video became a key piece of evidence challenging the Department of Homeland Security's account of the shooting.
"On the morning of Saturday, Jan. 24, I was getting ready to go to work in Minneapolis. I was supposed to be at a church community gathering, face painting children for three hours. And then I heard the whistles," Carlson testified. "The truth does not become less true because someone with great power tells a louder lie. Although I was terrified, in that moment, I knew that I had to keep recording and to bear witness."
According to the Midway Como Frogtown Monitor, for six months after the shootings, the FBI and Department of Justice prevented state and local law enforcement from investigating, and prominent members of the Trump administration, including then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, falsely described Good's actions as domestic terrorism. The Monitor reports there has been no reported material progress on the federal investigations.
Sen. Smith, who represents Minnesota, thanked the witnesses and framed accountability as beyond partisanship.
"How do you move forward when there hasn't been accountability for these crimes, and when there isn't some sense that these agents going forward are going to be held accountable?" Smith said. "Accountability and a free and fair investigation might be partisan issues inside this building, they are not partisan issues out in the country."
Republican lawmakers were invited to the forum but none attended, according to coverage of the event.
The forum also included relatives and witnesses connected to other fatal encounters involving federal immigration officers.
- National Correspondent Network
