ICE agent shooting sparks jurisdiction dispute with Minnesota officials

The FBI has asserted its authority over the investigation of a shooting by an ICE agent in Minnesota, sidelining the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and sparking questions about jurisdiction in the case.

Federal officials have said the FBI’s jurisdiction is clear when a federal officer’s actions are scrutinized, but Minnesota state leaders insisted Friday that they would continue their own parallel investigation into the incident.

The dispute arose after the Minnesota BCA revealed after the shooting that the FBI had excluded the BCA from the investigation. The incident involved an ICE agent appearing on video to shoot and kill Renee Good, 37, as she accelerated her vehicle toward him.

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Law enforcement personnel work on scene following a shooting by an ICE agent during federal law enforcement operations January 7, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

It’s common for the FBI and state and local agencies to pool resources to investigate crimes that might fall across their jurisdictions, but Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that the federal government does not consider the shooting to be one of those cases.

“They have not been eliminated; they have no jurisdiction in this investigation,” Noem said.

Noem framed the incident as an attack on a federal agent, something Democratic Gov. Tim Walz criticized as a predetermined outcome of an ongoing investigation. Democrats widely condemned the shooting, calling it murder and excessive use of deadly force, but Noem and others in the Trump administration disagreed.

“The officer feels like his life is in danger,” Noem said. “[The vehicle] was used to perpetuate an act of violence. This officer took steps to protect himself and other law enforcement officers. »

The FBI declined to comment on the investigation.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference in New York, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)

A federal law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that the incident was a classic example of a federal matter over which the FBI has jurisdiction.

The source also pointed to a letter that Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote to California leaders in October, saying federal agents acting in the line of duty could not face state charges.

“The Department of Justice considers any arrest of federal agents and officers in the performance of their official duties to be unlawful and frivolous,” Blanche wrote. “Many federal laws prohibit interfering and obstructing immigration or other law enforcement operations. …Further, the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the United States Constitution prohibits a federal officer from being detained on a state criminal charge when the alleged crime occurred in the performance of his or her federal duties. »

The Supremacy Clause protects federal officers from prosecution when those officers carry out their duties, although officers do not have full immunity, which has long been a point of contention.

Hennepin County Prosecutor Mary Moriarty said at a news conference Friday that she believes Minnesota prosecutors do have authority over the ICE agent’s case.

“We have jurisdiction to make the decision about what happened in this case,” Moriarty said. “It doesn’t matter that he’s a federal law enforcement agent.”

Moriarty, however, acknowledged “complex legal issues” involved in cases involving a federal law enforcement agent.

Moriarty, who was joined by Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison, called on the public to provide evidence or tips to state prosecutors, saying the FBI had deprived them of the same review of evidence and that Minnesota prosecutors would conduct their own investigation.

Ellison questioned the FBI’s ability to conduct a fair investigation and said a state investigation was necessary. Ellison wanted, “as much as possible, to put in place a process that, when completed, impartial people could say, ‘The work that could have been done was just as good and just,'” he said.

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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks on stage during day three of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center, August 21, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. (Getty Images)

Blanche said in a statement Thursday that “following any officer-involved shooting, standard protocols ensure evidence is collected and preserved.”

Multiple sources also told Fox News Digital that the federal government is skeptical of Minnesota’s willingness to conduct a good faith investigation. They cited remarks from state leaders, including Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who said claims that the ICE agent acted in self-defense were “bullshit.”

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A retired agent who worked at the FBI for two decades told Fox News Digital in a recent interview about the Brown University shooting investigation, which was initially conducted at the local level, that the bureau can take the reins of an investigation once it identifies a federal violation.

“It all depends on what type of crime it is,” the retired officer said. “If they can’t attach a federal connection to it, the Bureau has no say in the fight.”